Scorched Earth
by Urizen
Summary: Finally Completed Fourteen years after the events displayed in 'A Man's Worth'. Something is wrong with the universe, and what remains of the gang must find out how to fix it.
1. Prologue

Prologue

A/N: For Disclaimer and more info, see Chapter 1 of the series.

The absence of light is darkness.

The lack of sound is silence.

The end of life is death.

But what is the absence of the joy of living?

Silence ruled, unchallenged and undisturbed in the blank void the netherworld is.

No physical disturbance marked the visual manifestation of a different kind of life in said place. A beautiful woman materialized in the middle of a white, empty desert. In reality, there was no up and there was no down. Rules of physics such as gravity had no say in such reality.

There were no three or four dimensions. There was no height, no weight, no depth.

Nothing.

The entity chose to materialize as a beautiful woman, approximately of twenty five years of age, brunette, medium height and normal weight. Her big almond eyes scanned the empty nothingness surrounding her.

Cordelia Chase had still not grown used to the ethereal silence permanent on the other world. She missed the normal sounds she'd never paid much attention while being alive. Her mind still human, she missed her long ago discarded body and the physical sensations inherent to every living being. She missed her senses; the colors, sounds, smells, but most of all, she missed the human touch. Cordelia closed her eyes, trying to recover the darkness and focused on remembering a caress, a soft touch, a kiss.

She even missed tears in her eyes.

She'd grown frustrated as time went by, not used to the lack of feeling; to the unnatural sense of disembodiment that came with turning into a higher being.

'It's rather annoying, isn't it?'

Cordelia sighed, frowning when she felt no air coming out of her lungs.

"We can still use our voices." She said. "Talk to me."

Out of the same nowhere she'd appeared from, another being slowly began materializing next to her. A woman appeared and smiled brightly at Cordelia, who kindly returned the gesture. She knew they didn't need to become visible in order to interact, but she appreciated it.

"Rather grumpy today." The woman said. The recently materialized female wore long white robes, mimicking Cordelia's choice of unnecessary wardrobe.

Cordelia chuckled. "It isn't technically a day." Cordelia replied. "We don't keep count of time."

Both women smiled.

Cordelia had been shocked when, fourteen years ago, she'd received another woman into the netherworld, shortly after the destruction of the California town named Sunnydale.

Anya had been more than a refreshing distraction, proving to be an excellent friend.

Following Anya's heroic sacrifice while defending Sunnydale from the First Evil, she'd been offered redemption. True to her self, Anya had been clearly disturbed when the Powers That Be turned her into their version of angels, and even more upset when they had deemed their job as 'ethically incorrect' and 'morally perturbed'. She'd felt the final insult was their offer of redemption from a thousand years of mayhem and murdered. The Powers had insulted her job and in her words, she had 'only been doing my job, and a damn good job it was!'.

Cordelia smiled every once in a while, remembering the time she had to explain Anya they couldn't eat or have sex anymore.

Anya had not been to disturbed at the absence of food, but she'd almost gone postal when Cordelia explained their celibate existence. Cordelia figured that specific physical pleasure was number one in Anya's list of yearnings.

Having been turned into a human for the final years of her life, Anya had hated the side effects accompanying humanity. As a higher being, she didn't miss her menstrual cycles, or the pain of being alive, or the headaches directly resulting in dealing with the slayer and her capitalism-challenged friends.

But she clearly missed Xander, even though she was careful enough to never mention it while in the presence of any other higher being.

"I know we don't keep track of time." Anya continued with their conversation. "But it's annoying."

Cordelia nodded, realizing Anya wouldn't stop talking once she began.

"For instance, today would be what, thirteen years since the day I died and ended up in here?" Anya said. "Imagine the profits I could have made in thirteen years?"

Cordelia smiled and listened to her companion's rant about how unfair the Powers were for robbing her the change of earning some good dollars.

Cordelia soon zoned out as she let her mind wander. She slowly noticed one member of her party had yet to materialize. She softly called out with her mind, knowing a powerful bond connected all higher beings.

As in cue, the third part of their unit began to materialize in front of them.

Fully visual now, the third woman greeted her friends. Anya stopped talking and smiled.

"Hello, Tara. How wonderful of you to join us."

-----------------------------------

Everywhere in the universe, ranks mattered, and even after a decade of being angels, the three women were still in the lower levels of power.

The Powers That Be had assigned Tara and Anya to Cordelia, who in return answered to yet another higher being.

Said higher being gathered the three angels at her command, and delivered news and orders coming directly from the Powers themselves.

Cordelia, Anya and Tara stood motionless, not believing the words their leader had spoken to them.

'I know this comes as most unexpected.' Their leader said. 'Someone else was supposed to handle the situation, but I thought you'd want to know about it.'

The three girls nodded, still unsure of what their leader was asking of them, feeling nothing but dread.

Cordelia was the first to speak.

'I don't understand.' She said. 'Why now, after all these years?'

Their leader did not speak for a long time.

'Everything belongs to Balance.' Their superior said. 'Both the Powers and the Senior Partners tried to keep an equilibrium after the second war, to no avail.'

'There must be something we can do.' Tara stepped forward as she spoke. The leader smiled, but shook her head no.

'I'm afraid it's entirely out of our hands.' The leader replied. 'We still don't know how it'll all turn out. The players are being gathered, and events set in motion over two hundred years ago will finally pay off.'

The leader looked at each angel in the eye.

'Things will be difficult for the next months.' The leader said. 'You'll be tempted to take action, but all you're cleared to do is warn them.'

The three angels nodded, already knowing what they were ordered to do.

'It all comes to this.' The leader said. 'The battle for Balance has begun.'


	2. Home is Where the Heart is

**Chapter 1**

**Home is Where the Heart is**

**A/N:** First chapter of the Scorched Earth series. Placed fourteen years after the end of the story titled 'A Man's Worth', and it is a continuation of said storyline. Read it beforehand or this story won't make much sense. I respect what happened in the seventh and final season of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, as well as the fifth and final season of Angel The Series, and I try to fill the gaps left by Spike's absence.

**Disclaimer:** Property of Joss Whedon and all parties responsible for airing the shows. Other original characters are mine, and some others will be explained as the story goes on.

**Feedback:** Sure, if you wish.

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London, England

November 2017

Buffy Anne Summers hated Thursdays.

For the past thirteen years of her life, she'd lived in London, England, one of the biggest cities in the whole world. She had changed little from the twenty two year old woman who'd seen her hometown cave in under a mysterious power. She remained as beautiful as ever, her slayer healing keeping her looking like a woman in her late twenties, even though she was already a thirty six year old married woman and mother of one.

She'd stopped dyeing her hair, changing from her usual dirty blonde to a neutral brunette, and had gained a few pounds, leaving behind her slender figure and gaining a more filled look. She smiled, knowing her extra pounds attracted more looks than her more delicate appearance.

Buffy sighed, still having trouble with the way most Englishmen drove. It had only taken a few scares and some unwanted tickets but she'd quickly gotten used to driving on the wrong lane, but sometimes she just felt it was too much trouble and took the tube.

Thursday usually meant she had to forego the whole subway experience and drive. Turning left, the large building she was headed to loomed large in the horizon. In her long years as a slayer, she'd felt this sense of dread in very few times. Mostly, when new and seemingly unbeatable foes appeared, or when ancient slayers predicted her death, or when hellgods appeared on her hometown, making her spidey sense tingle all over.

But never, never before had it tingled as it usually did on most Thursdays for the past two years.

Thursdays meant Joyce Anne Summers, her fourteen-year-old daughter, had already grown bored with school and had gotten herself in trouble. Whenever the phone rang at her office on Thursdays at ten thirty two a.m., it usually was her teacher, Mrs. Wormwood, asking Buffy to come pick her already detained daughter.

Buffy tightly gripped the steering wheel of her smart car, or her 'bloody small box with wheels' as Rupert Giles referred to it, almost to the point of bending it. She took three deep breaths and parked the car some hundred feet away from the main entrance. As she locked her car, she looked up at the enormous structure, built hundreds of years ago, and sighed again as she read the large sign above her head.

Westminster School.

More accurately, The Royal College of St. Peter at Westminster, obviously located in Westminster, Central London.

Buffy kept looking at the sign, realizing she couldn't remember when she'd been fourteen. It had been two years before S day, and she'd been carefree and all airhead.

'So much like Cordy.' She thought, remembering she hadn't been at the Pantheon in over a month. Sighing again, she remembered all their fallen comrades. Closing her eyes, she tried to think of something else entirely different from what lay ahead regarding her meeting with Mrs. Wormwood, and pictured their private holy ground.

Someone next to her coughed, bringing Buffy back to reality, but she still kept her eyes closed. She already knew who had coughed next to her, having felt the presence almost two minutes ago.

Buffy took another three deep breaths, just to be sure, and opened her eyes. She was instantly greeted by a pair of big, bright blue eyes; a soft, round and almost pale face, framed by natural dirty blond locks, and a big smile that both infuriated and calmed her.

Buffy narrowed her eyes and the smile on the young face disappeared.

'There. I still have it.' Buffy thought. The young girl crossed her arms, and Buffy knew it was going to be just like every other time.

"All right." She said. "What happened this time?"

Joyce Anne Summers smiled again.

"I know this is going to sound sooo lame, but…"

Buffy sighed again. She really hated Thursdays.

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London, England

The Watcher's Council

November 2017

"Good morning, Mr. Summers."

Angel nodded his greeting and walked straight into his office, trying to ignore the dirty looks his secretary sent his way. He slowly locked the door and walked to the window. He sled it open and breathed in the morning air. Angel sighed as he tried to identify at least three different scents but failed. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply again.

Nothing.

He could only identify the exhaust fumes of speeding cars nearby and the unmistakable greasy smell of the Fish & Chips stand directly beneath his office, four floors beneath. Angel shook his head and closed the window. He plopped on his chair and turned on the AC as he stared at his office.

He remembered the luxurious office he'd once possessed, while still head of Wolfram & Hart.

'Those sure where the days.' He thought. He'd had power and respect. He'd had unlimited resources at his disposal, and he hadn't been afraid to use them. He'd been the big boss.

Number 1.

He didn't regret what he'd done. He had to do it. The reign of blood of W & H had to be destroyed. Their hold on earth had to be severed. He'd almost lost his soul and his humanity in the process, but it had been worth it. It had to be done, and he was the vampire to do it.

'Not a vampire.' He thought. 'A man.'

Still, he'd been the king of his domain, and even if one was king for a day, the memory of power remained.

In the Watcher's Council, he was only Mr. Summers, the husband of the great Buffy Summers, an agent of the good guys; a watcher in a building full of watchers.

Something inside of him cringed, not knowing how in hell he'd taken this offer.

It had been Buffy, of course. Everything was about her.

Angel's mind cried in outrage. He was whipped, and he didn't have the slightest idea of how that made him feel. More accurately, he didn't know how to feel about it.

He placed his hands on top of his eyes, not wanting to see his small, ugly office. His hands on his skin felt so hot he felt the need to lower the temperature of the AC a few more degrees.

He still couldn't get used to how warm his body was. Over two hundred years of being room temperature, his body now felt like a burning coal.

His core temperature was a topic he'd never share with his wife, fearing how she might react to his discomfort.

His telephone rang, startling him out of his thoughts. He slowly picked it up.

"Yeah?"

"Two hundred term papers on your desk to grade, Mr. Summers." His secretary spoke. "One class at sixteen hundred, and Mr. Giles would like to see you immediately."

The line went dead before he had a chance to answer. He dropped the telephone, not caring whether it was properly placed and sighed loudly.

He ran his hands through his hair, which was beginning to get gray on the temples.

'Oh yeah.' He thought. 'The perks of being an ex vampire in a building where everybody hates vampires.'

And the fact he was an Irishman working and living in Britain didn't elude his brain.

The irony.

-----------------------------

The not so newly reformed Watcher's Council had already turned ten years old.

A new building had risen from the ashes of the old one, built as a tower in the ground where the old building had resided. After the First Evil had caused it to explode, Rupert Giles had taken it as a personal challenge to form a new Council, different from the previous one.

Only a few watchers had survived, and they'd pledged their lives to the new cause.

The new building stood five stories high, and three levels under street level, under the disguise of Jenkins-Giles enterprises. Such business offered a public library on its ground level, as well as a bookstore on the second level of the building. A small shop, named the Magic Box stood on ground zero, as homage for the small store that bore the same name in the now extinct Sunnydale.

The ruins of the old building had been removed from around the small magic shop and rebuilt as a park, private property of the Council's new façade, wanting to keep it as sacred ground and a training ground away from public eyes. The coven of witches working side by side with the Council had ensured it was indeed sacred ground, off limits from most humans and all demons.

Such sacred ground was home for the most private side of the Council.

The Pantheon.

A secret garden mystically hidden amidst the garden surrounding the Magic Box, meant to honor their fallen as their final resting place.

Small at first, it had grown in size as heroes fell and found their final home in its ground.

In the middle of the beautiful garden, rose a small fountain, a majestic warrior angel keeping vigil above it all.

Rupert Giles stood tall, staring at the angel.

He felt older than ever before, and knew one day he'd take his place among his fallen friends. Not an old man by any standard, he felt the weight of his fifty-five years weighing on him. Physically, he looked the same; save for the more pronounced loss of hair and his walking cane, he still was the same man who'd left the United States, fourteen years ago.

But the pressure of reconstruction and management had taken its toll, as well as his unchecked affair with dark magic ages ago were beginning to show their consequences.

Giles took a long breath, remembering each and every hero and slayer buried at his feet.

He remembered the first graves opened in their sacred ground, Joyce Summers being the first. Even though they'd all known she'd been lost when Sunnydale caved in, a second memorial service was held in honor of the mother of the leader of all slayers. A plaque reading her name rested under the angel's shadow. Next to Joyce, another plaque peacefully marked the resting place of another hero. Tara, the shy but strong witch, the source of Willow's strength, had a small sculpture of mother earth above her plaque.

Next to them, a single eternal flame, marking Anya's fierce spirit, another warrior whose body couldn't be recovered.

In front of them all, stood another statue, facing the warrior angel. A beautiful angel made of marble held her arms open, encompassing the other tombstones with her shadow. No inscription marked the statue, but everyone knew whom it belonged to.

To the one they were certain had become an angel.

Giles smiled. He still couldn't picture Cordelia Chase as an angel.

Flanking the statue, four white columns rose, each engraved with a different name.

Doyle.

Charles Gunn.

Winifred 'Fred' Burkle.

Giles looked away from the last column. Broken for the past years, he knew whose name it once bored and why it lay shattered on the ground. Something on the floor caught his eye and he slowly knelt to take a closer look. Beneath Fred's column, a single rose stood on the grass. He took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Wanted to see me?"

The voice startled Giles, but he didn't turn around. Angel stood right behind him, looking at Cordelia's angel.

"Your cell's not turned on." Giles slowly said, as he placed his glasses back on. Angel chuckled and took his cell form one of his pant's pockets.

"Oops." Angel said. "Been trying to reach me for a long time?"

Giles slowly stood up. Angel didn't even bother to try to help him, knowing Rupert Giles would never like him.

"Turn it on." Giles said.

"Already on, sorry." Angel replied. It wasn't long until Angel's cell began beeping. The former vampire frowned and looked at his cell.

"Looks like I have some messages." He muttered and quickly read the text messages. Giles watched how Angel's face quickly turned into a frown, and then into a grimace.

"Oh shit." Angel said. Giles took a sick satisfaction upon noticing his companion's reaction.

"Buffy's been trying to find you all morning." Giles said. "Something happened at Annie's school."

"Dammit." Angel frowned again. "Must be Thursday. Buffy's going to kill me." He turned around and ran away, leaving a silent Giles behind.

'If only, Angelus. If only.' Giles thought, before kneeling again to pray.

End of Chapter

**A/N 2:** Mrs. Wormwood, Annie's teacher, is named after Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes, as she is Calvin's grade school teacher.

Don't want to influence your imagination, but for those of you wondering what Annie looks like, I picture her in my mind resembling Canadian singer Avril Lavigne, only a foot or so taller.


	3. Truth and Disappointments

**Chapter 2**

**Truth and Disappointments**

**A/N:** Second Chapter of the series. Began writing it two years ago, but I've moved all over the country and have rewritten it almost three times. The chapters might be longer than those before, but this will be a long series. Once again, for those looking happy stories, look elsewhere.

**Disclaimer:** Property of Joss Whedon and all parties responsible for airing the shows. Other original characters are mine, and some others will be explained as the story goes on.

**Feedback:** Sure, if you wish.

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London, England

November 2017

Annie cringed under her mother's cold stare.

The principal had been talking for twenty minutes, and with every passing second, Annie sunk deeper into her seat, and her mother's gaze turned colder by the minute.

"…and finally, Annie retaliated by breaking Daniel Glick's nose earlier today." The principal finished. "I believe those are all the atrocities committed by this young lady so far."

Buffy was slowly turning red, both from anger and embarrassment. The principal always chose to punish students in front of all parents, showing all of them what their children did.

'The bloody idiot couldn't wait till later.' Buffy thought. 'He chooses to embarrass me in front of all these harpies.'

No. He had the meetings early on Thursday so every mother in London could stare at Elizabeth Anne Summers and her rebel child. She tried to bore holes in said daughter's head with her eyes, but the infuriating child kept her head up, her eyes daring. Buffy narrowed her eyes and saw a faint tremble in her daughter's eyes. Still, Annie wouldn't yield in front of strangers, but there remained some of the healthy fear every child should have of an angry parent.

"Are you listening to me, Mrs. Summers?" The principal asked. Buffy turned around and noticed everyone staring at her.

"Uh, yeah, she broke Danny Glick's nose and… wait." She looked back at her daughter. "Did you break his nose?"

"Ask him why." Annie answered, as she nodded her head towards a young boy with a bandage on his face, his eyes swollen and a dark patch around them. Buffy cringed and thought the boy resembled a raccoon.

"I'm asking you, young lady. Answer me." Buffy pushed, but Annie simply crossed her arms and sulked.

'Boy, can you brood like your father.' Buffy thought. She sighed and was about to explode when the principal spoke again.

"It seems young Mr. Glick accidentally pushed one of his classmates too hard, causing her to fall off he stairs during recess, prompting our young Ms. Summers to, how did you put it? 'Show the bloody ponce a lesson'?"

"Wait, did you just say she fell off the stairs?" Buffy asked. The principal looked strangely at her.

"Yes, Mr. Glick pushed Susie Storm a bit too hard, she lost her balance and…"

"Wait a minute." Buffy interrupted. "You're giving detention to my daughter for punching a boy who likes to push girls down the stairs?"

"You have to understand, Mrs. Summers…"

"No." Buffy interrupted again as she stood up. "You try to understand. What happened to Susie?"

The principal began turning red as well, not liking being interrupted twice.

"It is not of the matter, Mrs. Summers, please sit down and we can discuss this as adults."

"I am behaving like an adult. What happened to the girl?" Buffy asked again. A young woman in the back of the room stood up.

"She broke her leg and two ribs." The woman said. Both the principal and Buffy turned to look at her.

"Mrs. Storm, please, I'm handling this." The principal said a bit too loud. Buffy felt the old fire rise, but kept her temper.

"Let me get this straight." She said. "Danny Glick pushes Susie down the stairs, young girl breaks her leg and a couple of ribs. My aggressive and soon to be grounded daughter clocks him, and you put her on detention? What about Mr. Two-steps-from-military-school here?"

The principal began a long, boring speech about the right use of corrective measures, causing Buffy to turn and stare at her daughter.

A smirk was firmly placed on Annie's face.

'Dammit, I hate Thursdays.' Buffy thought, lost in the principal's rambles.

--------------------------------

Angel ran towards the tube's exit, heading as fast as he could to Annie's school. He looked at his watch and cursed.

'Forty five minutes late.' He thought. 'Can still reach them in time.'

Taking the stairs four steps at a time, he squinted when the morning sun hit him in the eyes as he left the underground station. Something inside of him jumped, but he chose to ignore it and run, like every other time.

When he turned left in the same intersection his wife had taken earlier in the day, he stopped and sighed. He saw his wife's small car and his daughter leaning on it. He slowly approached her and Annie lifted her head as she felt him get near.

'Shit.' He thought as he saw her face. 'The smirk.'

He stood in front of her and crossed his arms.

"What happened this time?" He asked.

"Ask mum." Annie replied. Angel wished he could still growl.

"I'm asking you. What happened?"

Annie shook her head and scrunched her nose when she smelt the scent permeating her father.

"Could have been here when mum called and you'd know." She replied.

Angel sighed and ran his hands through his hair.

"Where's your mother?" He asked. Annie turned away from him and opened the door of her mother's car.

"Ask her yourself." Annie said as she sat on the back seat. "She's right behind you."

'Fucking hell.' Angel thought.

---------------------------------

The ride back to the Council was a quiet one.

No one said a word, not even when Annie began whistling some random tune. Not even when a bobby almost arrested Buffy for reckless driving, and certainly not after she's used some American slang referring to the policeman's mother and a camel. Buffy soon stopped her car in front of the main entrance of the Council. The family stepped out of the car, both Annie and Angel with their hands on their pockets, heads bowed down. It was until that moment when Buffy finally said something.

"Annie. My office. Research. Your grandfather will call you in twenty minutes. Don't even take one step out of my office."

Annie nodded and walked towards the elevators. Buffy turned away and spoke without looking at her husband.

"I know we've been fighting lately." She softly said. "But I needed you back there. If our marriage is over, then at least you could try to be there for her. If you even care anymore."

Buffy began walking behind her daughter, not bothering to look back.

Angel sighed. One month earlier, he might have sought her, taken her arm and forced her to talk. These days, he simply felt too tired of fighting. He shook his head and walked to the stairs, not wanting to share an elevator ride with his estranged wife and rebel daughter.

He dared one last glimpse at his wife's back, hoping she might turn and reward him with a look.

Nothing.

Angel shrugged and took the stairs to his office, knowing he still had too much work to do.

-----------------------------

Upstairs, on level 5, Giles slowly walked to his office, aided by his walking cane. He looked at the wooden crutch, a result of past years' battles, taking his steps carefully.

He began thinking about retirement, a notion that quickly disappeared as he saw his slayer leaning on the wall next to his office. Giles thought she'd grown into a beautiful woman; the proud mother of a marvelous kid, brash and rebel like the mother, but every bit as beautiful and loyal as Buffy.

"Hi, grandpa." Buffy smiled. Giles immediately sensed something amiss, seeing the eyes of the woman he loved as a daughter.

"He didn't arrive." He stated, no question on his voice. Buffy shook her head no, a sad smile on her head.

"I didn't expect him to." She replied.

Giles sighed. He opened the door to his office and ushered her in. Buffy stepped inside, dragging her feet. Contrary to Angel's small office, Giles was large, wide and had windows giving them a splendid view of the whole east side of the city.

The large space inside was by no means a way to intimidate those beneath him or a symbol of his status as the leader of the new Council, but meant to accommodate everything needed in order to command the Council from within. Buffy walked straight to Giles' desk set in one end of the spacious room. There he'd placed his personal computer, a telephone line with a direct link to all the Council's command posts around the globe, his own personal server, a set of printers and every other device necessary in order to keep the Council running displayed at arms' length.

In the middle of the room, stood the War Center, a circular table mimicking the round table of King Arthur and Camelot's myth. The circular table was set with projectors; plasma screens and battle ready stations in every seat, assigned to each leader inside Giles' inner circle of power. At the other end of the room, a gigantic screen was displayed, covering an entire wall, from ceiling to floor. The enormous screen showed a map of the entire globe, where tiny colored dots blinked, signaling the whereabouts of every active slayer and every active watcher in the world.

Buffy looked at the two seats in front of Giles' desk, where he now took his seat, and decided against it. She still felt anxious following her debate with her daughter and her husband, so she walked instead towards the giant screen. She smiled as she found the familiar dots, distinctively colored in order to distinguish them from the slayers and watchers.

"Willow is still in the U.S." She said.

"Wanted to spend some time with her parents." Giles replied. "Been a few years since the last time she saw them."

Buffy nodded, looking at the bright purple dot. Her eyes scanned the whole map until she found the dot colored yellow.

"Good ol' Xander is still in Japan."

"Okinawa, to be more precise." Giles clarified. Both fell silent for a few seconds, knowing the reasons their friend had remained for so long in Asia.

Nothing had been the same after their fight in the wine cellar, fourteen years ago.

Buffy looked anew at the giant screen, staring at the multi colored dots. Out of the old Scooby Gang and what had survived of Angel Investigations, they had devised together a way to magically keep track of them all, coming up with the giant Locator Screen.

Red colored dots signaled active slayers.

Blue colored dots signaled active watchers.

Few had an individually colored dot.

Willow was bright purple, shining in Los Angeles, California, inside the United States of America.

Xander had bright yellow, shining in Okinawa, Japan.

Giles was bright white, inside the Council in London, England.

Faith's dot was colored orange, located in Cleveland, USA.

Dawn had bright green, located in Rome, Italy.

Illyria had a different shade of blue from those of the watchers, and was located somewhere outside Bath, England.

Angel had a gray dot, also within the Council, in London.

Connor had only a black empty circle, blinking inside the Council.

Buffy and Annie had dots colored blood red.

And finally, a completely dark dot blinked; right next to Illyria's blue one.

Buffy kept her eyes riveted on it.

"He's still with her." Buffy said as she turned back to look at Giles. He merely nodded.

"Still don't know why." He replied.

Buffy remained silent, and returned her gaze to the Locator Screen, staring at the yellow dot.

"Xander called?" She asked, changing subjects.

"Yesterday." Giles replied. Buffy turned her head back at him and smiled.

"He didn't forget. Told you."

Giles returned her smile. "Six years." He said.

"Already seven years?" She asked. "Whoa, time really flies. What did he say?"

"Not much. He's not a man of many words." Giles replied.

"Not the same Xander I remember." Buffy said, walking back to Giles' desk and taking a seat in front of him.

"He certainly isn't the same." Giles stated. "Still, he's made me proud."

"Every child does." Buffy replied. "Speaking of proud parents and good children, I need you to come up with something for my infernal offspring to research."

Giles laughed out loud.

"What did she do this time?"

End of Chapter

A/N 2: Daniel Glick, or Danny Glick, is named after a character portrayed in Stephen King's Salem's Lot, a novel published back in 1975. If you can, go read it. Excellent story.

Susie Storm, or Susan Storm, is named obviously after the Marvel Comics character The Invisible Woman, of the Fantastic Four.


	4. A Warning From Above

**Chapter 3**

**A Warning From Above**

**A/N:** Third chapter of the series. I'll try to post a chapter every week or sooner. Lost many readers on previous stories because of not uploading chapters soon enough, so I'll try to keep a regular schedule on this story. As a warning, once again, this is not a happy story. I've yet to receive any feedback, but if anyone is reading this, I probably should give a word or two of advice. I haven't ended the story and I've already written over sixty pages, so this is going to be quite a long story. Consider yourselves warned.

**Disclaimer:** Property of Joss Whedon and all parties responsible for airing the shows. Other original characters are mine, and some others will be explained as the story goes on.

**Feedback:** Sure, if you wish.

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Cordelia silently thanked the Powers every time silence was breached in the netherworld.

"What are we going to do?" Tara asked, curiously biting her nails.

'Old habits die hard.' Cordelia thought as she and Anya stared at Tara.

"I suppose we could do what we were ordered to." Anya replied. Cordelia crossed her arms and pondered the statement for a while.

"I suppose we could warn them." She finally said. When her companions were about to speak, she raised a hand.

"I'm not saying we'll tell them everything. I know we can't." She continued. "We could only give them a cryptic warning; say only what's absolutely necessary."

"And what's that?" Anya asked.

"We can't say anything that could jeopardize the outcome." Tara intervened. "So much is at stake here. We can't let old feelings get in the way."

"That goes for everyone." Cordelia said.

The three of them nodded and vanished into thin air.

-----------------------------------

Los Angeles, California, USA.

November 2017.

Willow Rosenberg sat alone in the backyard of her parents' house.

Ever since the so-called 'Dark' Willow episode and her subsequent rehabilitation, she'd learnt how to rest and recharge her mystical energies by simply getting tuned with Earth's primal forces. In such case, sitting cross-legged on the floor, barefoot and her hands touching the ground, she received all the energy she needed.

Willow took deeps breaths, trying to forget the regular fights that came every time she visited her parents. They seemed to be intent on recovering the teenage Willow, and couldn't cope with the adult Willow. More accurately, they couldn't cope with the lesbian, Wicca adult Willow.

She sighed and shook her head, regaining her calmness and focused on the energy flowing out of the earth and into her body.

The red headed woman practically remained the same. Most people thought she was younger than she really was, not guessing her thirty-six years of age. Her hair was shorter, and a white streak ran through it. Her body still slender and athletic; having once dated a slayer, she'd begun to use her physical attributes instead of her magical ones.

Willow had spent ten years traveling the world, at first seeking new slayers and training watchers; later on she'd worked alongside the coven of witches in order to train with witches and warlocks across the globe.

Her thoughts were forgotten when she felt a distinct change in the energies surrounding her. She slowly opened her eyes and focused one everything surrounding her. Light suddenly appeared in front of her and she immediately stood up. Out of instinct, she erected a shield of energy around her, slightly blinded by the light.

The shields fell down when she recognized the figure materializing in front of her.

"Hello, dear." Tara said as she appeared.

--------------------------------

Okinawa, Japan

November 2017

Rain fell softly over the city of Okinawa.

A soft scent of jasmine rose from the ground, filling the air.

A man sat outside a small dojo located on the outskirts of the city, completely soaked yet unfazed by the constant downpour around him. He wore black clothes, a sort of uniform, as well as a fold tied around his head, covering his eyes.

The man was fully relaxed, yet not asleep, and completely aware of everything and everyone surrounding his environment. The man once called Alexander Harris had managed to overcome his weaknesses and come at ease with his blindness six years ago.

However, he still couldn't avoid the nightmares or forget that fateful night, fourteen years ago.

He couldn't forget the last thing he'd seen, over a decade ago. When the First Evil had struck Sunnydale, the army Buffy gathered had gone unprepared into the vineyard, he never expected his final gaze would be upon a man of the cloth.

The insane preacher named Caleb had pushed both thumbs into his eyes, robbing him of colors and light. Submerged in a sea of darkness and pain, he'd sunk deeply into depression, further increased by the loss of his beloved Anya a few days later.

His only regret had been not telling her how much he truly loved her.

He hoped she'd known, the last time they'd been together, in the Summer's kitchen.

How he wished he could have seen her face, one last time. He remembered her scent, her perfume, how her skin tasted and how soft she really was.

The feeling of her hair in his hands was something no one could take away from him. He would remember it until the day he died and beyond.

Those days, he had wanted to die, but no one would let him. He'd wanted to be with his friends that last time, when they'd stormed the high school he'd built with his own hands, but the slayers in training wouldn't let him.

He'd been unceremoniously tied inside the school bus, and left him alone while they went seeking the death he wished for. All he could do was try to cry, for he'd been physically unable to do so. Caleb had taken away his sight, and had damaged more than just his eyes.

Xander had suffered in darkness, only hearing the battle, not knowing what was happening.

He'd never felt more useless in his entire life.

Fortunately, Buffy's army had won, Faith had earned her redemption using the strange device brought by none other than the soon to be husband of Buffy, Angel.

'Fucking luck some guys have.' He'd bitterly thought, knowing Angel had gotten everything out of nothing. All his morals and self-esteem vanished and he stopped believing in God.

If some thing like Angel received second chances and could win both the girl and a family after centuries of murder and hate, then no God was watching them from above.

All Xander Harris had ever done was play by the rules, and all he'd received had been pain and loss.

The following days had been a blur to him, feeling removed from it all when he'd been dragged across the globe in order to start all over again. He'd been taken like a dog, like a cripple, unable to see a step in the streets.

His life had been reduced to a cacophony of chaos surrounding him.

What was a man to do?

Following old habits, he'd turned to alcohol and some other unconventional ways of forgetting.

He'd thrown himself all the way down, and he'd hit rock bottom.

That's why he owed his life to Willow; the one who had found him in time.

He had cursed all and everything around him and slashed his wrists in her kitchen.

'What's so cool about Rome if I can't see jackshit?' He'd thought.

Willow had saved him, and after she'd made sure he was ok, she'd slapped him. Hard.

"You saved me once from myself." She'd said, remembering her own downfall. "We're even now. I can't run behind you and spend every second with you to stop you the next time you decide to take the easy way out."

He'd been too immersed in his own pity to hear the pain and hurt beneath her hard words.

"You want to kill yourself?" She'd continued. "Go ahead, but do it somewhere else. Don't hurt your friends because you can't find a reason of your own to keep on living."

To their credit, the Scooby gang hadn't left him alone.

Even after all his harsh words and self-hatred, they had remained by his side. Yet not one of them seemed to be able to crack his shell; not until Rupert Giles appeared.

After years of anger and pain, all Xander Harris really needed was a father. A real father, not the sad imitation of a parent he'd have before.

Slowly, Xander found solace and was slowly brought back to his old self, Giles remaining by his side every step of the long road. Coping with the past, Xander had apologized to everyone and had asked them to let him return, to let him be a Scooby again.

His friends had embraced him with arms wide open, assuring him he'd always be their friend.

Feeling self conscious, Xander had asked Willow to magically recreate his eyes.

'Better to be blind with eyes than to be a freak with two holes in my face, right?' He'd said. The completely inappropriate comment and the dark humor meant he was healed, in more ways than one.

Nothing could be done regarding his eyesight, but his eyes had been physically replaced.

Nevertheless, as everything regarding magic, actions had consequences. In Xander's case, the magic used to recreate his eyes enhanced his remaining senses, almost to superhuman degrees.

'Daredevil!' Andrea had screamed when learning about the new development. Xander had nodded enthusiastically and enjoyed learning all the new things he could do. Nothing could compensate for what he'd lost, but at least he didn't feel useless anymore.

Becoming an eager student, Giles had taught him the old ways of Samurai, hoping it'd help him in achieving inner equilibrium and discipline.

As time went by, Giles turned from friend, listener and sensei into the father Xander had so desperately needed. His parents disappearing after the Sunnydale episode, Xander was left with no next of kin, so Giles had offered and the young man had accepted.

Alexander Lavelle Harris turned into Xander Giles.

Looking to learn more, Xander left London and headed to Japan, looking forward to take his education into higher levels and truly learn what being Samurai meant.

His memories were interrupted when a slight alteration in the wind surrounding him and the water drops falling in his face increased in temperature.

He immediately became completely aware of his surroundings and gripped his old sword, tied to his waist. He sensed no danger, but the change in the air was unusual. Scents changed and electricity was practically crackling through the air.

The wind stopped and he felt someone in front of him. Someone who had not been there before.

A scent assaulted him and he knew he'd smelt it before. There was breathing but no heartbeat, and he identified the person in front of him as a woman, probably a higher being.

"Cordelia?" He asked, knowing she was the only higher being who had visited regularly in the past, but the scent was wrong.

"Cordelia?" Anya furiously asked. "That's the way to greet the woman you claimed to love?"

End of Chapter

A/N2: Don't really like the character of Xander, but I've used him previously like filler and haven't seen potential. By removing Spike in the beginning of the previous series, there was no one to get Caleb off Xander, thus the mad preacher had the chance to take both his eyes. Those who might enjoy the character of Xander, I apologize if you don't like the way I've portrayed him. Everything has a reason and it will be explained in further chapters.

Daredevil is a character from Marvel Comics, a blind crime fighter whose other senses have been augmented because of radiation exposure.


	5. Cat Out of the Bag

**Chapter 4**

Cat Out of the Bag 

**A/N:** Fourth chapter of the series. I'll try to post a chapter every week or sooner. Lost many readers on previous stories because of not uploading chapters soon enough, so I'll try to keep a regular schedule on this story.

**Disclaimer:** Property of Joss Whedon and all parties responsible for airing the shows. Other original characters are mine, and some others will be explained as the story goes on.

**Feedback:** Sure, if you wish.

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London, England

The Watcher's Council

November 2017

"That better not be scotch you're drinking."

Angel took the glass and emptied in one big gulp. He looked at the image in front of him and sighed. He'd grown used to seen Cordelia appear and give him advice. He'd stopped fooling himself after eight years of having conversations with his own imagination and not knowing anything of her.

She had died thirteen years ago, and it seemed she'd become truly an angel, and had more important things to take care of outside of an earthly dimension.

Angel poured himself another glass of whiskey and downed it again in one gulp.

"Didn't you hear me?"

Now he knew he'd gone completely insane, because his imagination had stepped directly in front of his desk and had her arms crossed.

He feared he'd scream and would begin writing on the walls.

He cringed as he remembered Fred and her penchant for writing on the walls. Not bothering with the glass anymore, he took a drink directly from the bottle.

"Liam was a drunk." His imagination said. "Angel is a family man, a father of two who shouldn't drink himself stupid."

"What would you know?" He angrily asked. "You're not even here! You have not been here for years!"

He once again took the bottle to his lips, but his imagination slapped it out of his hands. The bottle exploded against the floor and Angel was motionless, frozen by the real impact on his hand.

He stood up, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and staring into what he'd thought was a cruel trick of his imagination.

"Are you…?" He whispered.

Cordelia smiled and crossed her arms.

"Of course I'm the real thing."

A smile crossed Angel's face, and before he knew it, he was hugging Cordelia. It wasn't a cheerful hug, resembling more a drowning man holding on to a safe line. Cordelia sighed and returned the embrace.

They remained like that for a long time, neither saying a word.

---------------------------

The Council called their generals to gather in the War center.

In the past, whenever a higher being appeared, warnings regarding upending apocalypses were issued. Days before, three higher beings had appeared to three members of the inner circle, each with cryptic warnings concerning a fateful battle yet to come.

All members of the inner circle had gathered three days after the higher beings had spoken their warnings. They all took their seats within the War center and a meeting had begun.

Willow was the first to speak, standing up from her battle station.

"Three days ago, at approximately the same time, three higher beings paid us a visit." The redhead took a small remote control, and directing it to the giant screen, she pressed a button. On the wall, the Locator screen refreshed, all dots disappearing to be replaced by three circles blinking over Los Angeles, Okinawa and London.

"We once knew of Cordelia's status as a higher being." Willow continued. "It was a pleasant surprise to learn our beloved Anya and sweet Tara also became angels."

Smiles appeared on everyone's faces.

"Anya visited Xander while he was still in Japan." Willow kept talking. "Cordelia appeared to Angel right here, in his office. Tara paid me a visit in Los Angeles. The three of them spoke similar things, and comparing the info we've come up with some disturbing news."

Voices began to rise around the circular table, but silence returned when Willow continued speaking.

"The message was not clear. They gave us different messages, and I'm afraid the only thing they agreed on was that a battle was about to come."

"Typical." Buffy said. "Must be Tuesday."

Willow cleared her throat and continued.

"Tara spoke to me about Balance, capital 'B', and something we'd done had disrupted it and a battle would erupt because of it."

Angel took her words as his cue and stood up as well.

"Cordelia didn't speak of Balance." Angel said. "She only talked about war. A battle large and fierce enough we should all fight in it. Our very lives are now at stake."

He extended his arm and Willow handed him the remote she'd used. Angel pressed another button and the screen returned to its normal state, the red and blue dots appearing again.

"There are over a thousand slayers active." Angel said. "And about half that number of watchers active in the world." He pressed another button and different dots appeared. "The pink dots refer to the slayers in training, the two hundred and fifty six of them, and the light blue dots refer to watchers in training, about a hundred of them. We may be forced to used them all in the battle."

Voices again grew among the War center. Xander stood up as well.

"Anya asked us to form our army." He began. "But she also mentioned key players yet to appear. Looks like those of us here may not be all the members of the army she asked us to build. She said we don't have much time."

"How long?" Giles, who'd remained silent, finally spoke.

"About a month." Xander answered. "She specified time goes by differently on higher realms, so we don't have an accurate deadline."

"Tara said something else." Willow interrupted. "She spoke about fighting someone we already knew."

"That's somewhat relaxing." Buffy spoke. "We've pretty much defeated everyone we've met."

"We have." Xander replied. "But at great cost."

Buffy didn't argue, knowing Xander didn't refer solely to his blindness.

"I heard your heart jump, Buff." Xander chuckled. "Don't feel bad about me. I was talking about everyone of us. We've lost too many friends in these battles."

Silence made its appearance over the War Center.

"What I'm trying to say is we've survived, yes, but we have taken heavy hits over the years, and if three angels have come to warn us, we should take their word seriously."

Everyone nodded, and soon plans were made.

-----------------------------

Annie sat outside Giles' office, bored out of her mind.

She wished they would already let her inside his office and let her take her place in the War Center. She had the experience of a lifetime, literally, and nothing could shock her anymore. Next to her, in the uncomfortable leather sofa, sat her half brother, Connor. Contrary to her wishes, the young man didn't want to have anything to do with the Council, having had his life manipulated ever since before he was born.

He didn't want to deal with slayers and vampires and demons anymore.

"So, what are you doin' here, bro?" Annie asked. Connor shrugged.

"Angel asked me to." He answered. Annie frowned, never getting used to Connor referring to their father by his name, like they were friends instead of family.

'Some mistakes made in the past.' Buffy had said, but she had never heard the full story. The archives within the Council dealing with her father were off limits to her.

Sighing, Annie realized her family had been locked inside Giles' office for almost two hours, and it seemed it would be long before someone left the room. After three days of being grounded inside the Council's offices and library, she wanted to leave more than anything else in the book and not look at a book unless she had a test at school.

She tried to find a way to amuse herself. By experience, she knew Connor wouldn't engage in small talk, and if he didn't begin the conversation, she'd only receive half answers and grunts if she asked him anything.

She stood up from her seat and decided she wanted a snack.

Heading to the elevators, she changed her mind and decided to take the stairs. Giles' offices as well as her mother's were located in the Fifth level of the Council, and very few members of the Council could actually be in said level. Walking downstairs, she passed level Four, also restricted for many members, and headed towards level Three, where recreational areas and the cafeteria stood.

Losing as much time as she could, she arrived at the cafeteria twenty minutes later, craving something greasy to eat. Twelve minutes later, she found herself sitting in front of a hamburger and a large Pepsi. Her appetite slowly vanished when she looked up to the many TV screens propped on the walls.

On screen, a beautiful African American anchorwoman was speaking, her words having a hypnotic effect as everyone on the Council's cafeteria began to pay attention to what she said.

"The next images have just arrived to our network, coming from Cleveland, and we must warn our viewers of the graphic nature of these images. If any children is watching our show, we recommend parental guidance and criteria upon watching the next segment."

Annie forgot her hamburger, stood up and walked to the nearest screen. She rubbed her eyes, not believing what she was seeing.

"As you can see," The woman on the TV continued speaking, "our news reporter received word of a nearby domestic disturbance, which quickly escalated to arson and riots. Always looking forward to keep our viewers informed, our news van rushed to the reported place of the incident. Upon reaching the spot, our crew discovered something most interesting."

The image on screen split in two, the picture of the anchorwoman reduced to a small square located on the bottom left corner of the screen, and larger images appeared with a sign reading 'Recorded Earlier'.

"This footage displays a group of young women fending off what looks like common burglars in the northeastern part of our city. You can see the abandoned warehouses and burnt out cars typical of the scene." The voice of the woman could be heard over the recorded sounds. "The images are not clear, because of the fire and smoke, but you can clearly see the burglars, or maybe even gang members, are wearing what seems to be makeup or latex masks."

'That's not makeup!' Annie thought, looking closer at the image. 'Those are vampires!'

"Several questions arise from these images." The woman's voice continued. "Beginning with the local police department's statement of not having recorded any gang activity in the surrounding areas, and the notable increase of strange homicides occurring lately in Cleveland."

'Bloody hell.' Annie thought, searching her pockets for her cell phone. She quickly dialed her mother's number, hoping she hadn't turned it off when the meeting began.

"Even stranger," The woman kept talking, "are the next images."

The next images displayed went into slow motion, and Annie recognized the girls fighting as slayers, but her blood froze when she saw a Fyarl demon appear on screen.

'A demon and slayers caught on national TV.' Annie thought, and the cell still couldn't connect her call.

"The creature appearing on screen could be a man in disguise, or a genetically altered creature." The small square in the bottom disappeared and the larger image kept playing.

"Now you can see how the four young women fighting the masked men focus solely on the man in disguise." The image froze for a moment, and yellow circles appeared over the four slayers. "The women now highlighted went on to perform the most disturbing scene recorded on live television."

The images continued playing and everyone on the Council's cafeteria gasped when the slayers picked up a small car abandoned on the street and threw it at the Fyarl demon, crushing it underneath.

Annie dropped her cell and stared at the screen, her mouth open.

"The images have not been tampered by any means, not digitally and I can assure you no CGI was detected on the live feed." The TV seemed to be speaking directly to Annie. "The four young women displayed on your TV screen did lift up a car and threw it at the man in costume, killing him instantly."

Chaos seemed to erupt inside the cafeteria, as people stood up from their seats and ran. Voices quickly rose in intensity as many phone calls were connected.

"Even more confusing, was the sudden appearance of Federal agents at the scene, wanting to close it and take charge, claiming federal jurisdiction. They even went so far to confiscate our van and all the equipment inside."

The image of the anchorwoman once again appeared full screen, and the woman had a big smile on her face.

"What they didn't know was our cameraman, Cosmo, had a live feed directly to our studio. However, an outside agent, probably a frequency jammer, severed the link a few minutes later. Still more suspicious, our server and most of our computers were hacked and the video erased from our hard drives."

The woman's smile grew even larger as she displayed a laptop in front of the audience.

"But we managed to record the video and disconnect this small laptop from the mainframe, saving the information we have just showed live, before any other news agency."

A close up of her beautiful face and perfect smile filled the screen.

"Now more questions arise. Who were those girls capable of lifting and throwing cars twenty feet into the air? Who or what was the man in costume? And why were our servers and computers attacked? What is the FBI trying to keep from the public?"

Annie felt numb.

She didn't even hear her cell phone ringing on the floor.

End of Chapter

A/N2: The cameraman is named Cosmo, after one of the Fairly Oddparents' main characters. The cartoon is property of Nickelodeon, and a damn good one it is.


	6. Damage Control

**Chapter 5**

**Damage Control**

**A/N:** Fifth chapter of the series. I'll try to post a chapter every week or sooner. Lost many readers on previous stories because of not uploading chapters soon enough, so I'll try to keep a regular schedule on this story.

**Disclaimer:** Property of Joss Whedon and all parties responsible for airing the shows. Other original characters are mine, and some others will be explained as the story goes on.

**Feedback:** Sure, if you wish.

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London, England

The Watcher's Council

November 2017

"What the bleeding hell just happened?"

Giles shouted as the giant screen at the end of his office tuned out, only to be replaced by a giant picture of CNN.

All members sat at the War Center saw what Annie had seen few moments ago. Confusion soon reigned over them all, until Giles' shout froze everyone.

Walking furiously to his desk, Giles pushed a button on his telephone, instantly answered by his secretary. The voice heard over the phone explained she'd been the one to interrupt the Locator screen and patch through CNN.

"When did this happen?" Giles asked.

"Twenty minutes ago, at 08: 12 a.m. local time, 01:12 a.m. in Cleveland, USA. I still don't have the exact location." Giles' secretary answered.

"Who is in charge in Cleveland?" Giles asked.

"Faith." Buffy answered. Giles hands were closed so tightly his knuckles were going white.

"Where is she?" He practically growled. Willow pressed some buttons on her battle station and the Locator Screen appeared again. Closing in on USA and eventually on Cleveland, they all sought the orange dot.

Giles cursed when he didn't see the dot nowhere close to Cleveland.

"Anyone recognized the slayers on screen?" He asked.

"It's Kennedy's pack." Buffy replied. "Trained those girls myself."

Giles cursed again. He slowly paged his secretary again.

"I want to talk to Agent Parker, right now." He said. There was no reply, but none was expected.

Everyone fell silent.

Four slayers had been caught on tape while patrolling. They had been displayed on national TV killing vampires and a Fyarl demon. Even if they could somehow explain the demon, they had no way to explain how teenage girls could throw cars.

The phone rang and Giles pressed the speaker button.

"Agent Parker, sir."

The giant screen refreshed and an image of a middle-aged man in a dark suit appeared. He seemed tired, which only helped to make him look older.

"I want an explanation." Giles said, his voice colder than ever before.

"We were a mile away from the scene, sir." Agent Richard Parker said. "We received no previous warning regarding a pack operating in the nearby area. We reacted as fast as we could."

"What do you mean?" Giles asked.

"Our communications were turned off a few minutes before the event took place, sir." Agent Parker continued. "All computers went offline. I can't explain what really happened."

"No excuses, Agent." Giles replied. "Why wasn't the live feed interrupted, or the scene contained?"

"Got there too late." The agent answered. "When we tried to stop the signal it had already been broadcasted. It's already on the World Wide Web, ser."

"Bloody hell!" Giles now shouted. "What about magic?"

"Don't recommend it now." Agent Parker stated. "If the feed had been contained, we could erase a small population's memories, but the feed was picked up by external news agencies, sir. The whole world must have seen them or are seeing them as we speak."

Giles sighed, took off his glasses and began cleaning them. Everyone was silent in the War Center. It was then when Buffy spoke.

"What about our slayers?" She asked.

"Already in our custody." Agent Parker answered. "The local police department wanted to arrest them for public disturbances and arson, but we pulled the national security card and are on their way out of the state."

"Good. The videotape?" She asked. The agent waved a small videocassette.

"Ok. The demon?"

"Disposed of. We placed a disguised corpse in its place and took some pictures of it."

"Creepy." Willow said. Giles placed on back his glasses.

"Prepare a statement." He said. "Richard, go public with the images of the disguised corpse; upload on the Bureau's mainframe a fake data sheet with fake ID's of our slayers, with a background regarding use and distribution of illegal steroids. Alter their pictures as much as possible and have them flown back here as soon as possible, please."

"They're already on their way, sir, and I have Agent Thompson working on the fake data sheets." Agent Parker replied and was about to sign off when Giles spoke again.

"Wait." He said. "Were you ever informed regarding the slayer's raid on the vampire nest?"

"No, sir." The agent replied. "Even after our computers went back online, we received no report."

"Is Kennedy with you?" Giles asked anew.

"She'll rendezvous with the fleeing slayers later tonight." Parker answered. Giles nodded and Agent Parker finally signed off.

"Parker's status is in jeopardy." Angel suddenly said. "Most of his crew as well. They'll be in deep trouble once the FBI begins questioning their motives for closing the scene."

"He can't just leave." Giles replied.

"He'll probably need to take a leave of absence." Angel continued. "The slayer's identities have been compromised. They'll need an alibi. Most of the slayers working on the area will need to be relocated."

Giles pinched the bridge of his nose.

"All right. Do locate all active slayers on Cleveland and warn them. Notify Faith, since that's her area. Ask them to keep it quiet until it all cools off."

Everyone began moving and Buffy heard the distinct beep made by her cell when alerting unanswered calls. She noticed her daughter's number and called her. When Annie didn't pick up the call, she left the office in order to find her. As she opened the door, she immediately saw Connor sitting on the leather couch.

"What happened?" He asked as soon as he saw Buffy close the door behind her.

"Some slayers were caught on film while patrolling." She answered. "It was displayed on the evening news on CNN."

Connor shook his head.

"Stupid slayers."

Buffy sighed, but didn't correct his statement.

"Have you seen Annie?" She asked.

"Yeah, last time I saw her she was heading downstairs, to the cafeteria." He replied.

Buffy nodded, realizing Annie must have seen the news and it was probably the reason she'd tried to reach her mother via their cell phones.

The door opened behind her and Angel walked out of Giles' office. He looked at his son and Connor stood up and both began walking away.

"Wait." Buffy said to Angel. "Have you gotten in touch with your slayers on Cleveland?"

"Already did, boss." He harshly replied.

"What?" Buffy was genuinely confused by her husband's answer.

"Forget it." Angel shrugged and patted Connor's back and walked away, leaving behind a very confused slayer.

-----------------------------

Annie had run upstairs and saw how her father and brother walked away from her mother.

She saw how her father said something that had clearly bothered her mother and made her frown. She hated how of late, all her father could do was drink, mope and hurt her mother. She sighed and slowly walked towards her mother.

"Saw the news?" Both asked at the same time. Both nodded at the same time, as well.

"Tried to contact you." Annie continued. "How bad is it?"

"Bad." Buffy answered. "But Agent Parker is already on it."

"What did he say happened?" Annie asked.

"Couldn't explain." Buffy replied. "Said something weird about his equipment crashing and, get this, the slayers didn't file a report of their activities."

"This blows everything, right?" Annie asked again.

"Not necessarily." Buffy answered. "It'll be hard. Oh, there is something I think you should know."

Fifteen minutes later, a confused Annie sat in front of her mother's desk, slowly taking in all the info received.

"This really looks like the trouble your friend warned you about." Annie finally said. Buffy thought about it for a few moments.

"I don't think so." She replied after some time. "Cordelia spoke about a former enemy. The world has never been aware of the existence of the Council."

"What will happen to Agent Parker?" Annie asked. Buffy shrugged.

"He'll probably need to be relocated." Buffy answered. "Most likely, he'll come back here and take again his position as watcher. He and his crew will be under heavy investigations regarding their involvement."

Annie nodded. Silence stretched as Buffy began to fill reports on her computer, while her daughter tried to find a way to talk about what she'd seen earlier.

"Why's dad behaving like that?" She suddenly asked. Buffy stopped typing and sighed.

"Say that, huh?"

Annie nodded.

"I don't know, honey." Buffy replied. "He's been under much stress lately."

Annie frowned and was about to reply with some snarky command, but her mother just kept on working, dismissing the entire discussion.

"That doesn't explain why he drinks so much." Annie said, bringing back the subject. Buffy stopped typing again and rubbed her temples.

"Noticed that too." Annie said.

Buffy turned off her PC and disconnected her telephone. Annie waited patiently, the look on her mother's face meant things weren't entirely ok back home.

"You know most of the story." Buffy began. "You know why you're so special, and what your dad used to be, fifteen years ago."

Annie nodded.

"You also know Connor's your half brother, and both of you can pretty much do the same things."

Buffy made a pause, not knowing how to continue talking.

"But there's a part of your father you don't know about. A part I hope the world never gets to see again." Angelus appeared on Buffy's mind, smiling.

"Something from his past. Something lost long ago, but still present inside of him"

"So dad was once an alcoholic arse?" Annie asked.

"Hey, watch your mouth, young lady." Buffy reprimanded her daughter.

"He's being a dick." Annie replied, frowning. "He has been ignoring me for the past year."

"Listen, Annie, your dad and I may be having some problems, but he's still your father." Buffy said. "He deserves your respect and you shouldn't refer to him as whatever you just called him. He just has trouble with the fact you're growing up, and he has zero experience dealing with teenage girls."

Annie nodded.

"And even if he is being a dick, you shouldn't even know those words." Buffy said with a straight face, which quickly turned into a grin.

Annie answered with a grin of her own.

End of Chapter

A/N2: Agent Richard Parker is named after Spiderman's father, both characters of Marvel Comics. In the Spiderman comic books, Richard Parker was an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., a double agent working undercover. Agent Thompson takes his name from Flash Thompson, friend of Peter Parker, also a character from Marvel Comics.

As you all know, CNN is one of the larges television networks dedicated solely to broadcast news worldwide.


	7. Family Issues

**Chapter 6**

Family Issues 

**A/N:** Sixth chapter of the series, a smaller one this time. I'll try to post a chapter every week or sooner. Lost many readers on previous stories because of not uploading chapters soon enough, so I'll try to keep a regular schedule on this story.

**Disclaimer:** Property of Joss Whedon and all parties responsible for airing the shows. Other original characters are mine, and some others will be explained as the story goes on.

**Feedback:** Sure, if you wish.

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London, England

The Watcher's Council

November 2017

"What's going on between Buffy and you?" Connor asked.

Mirroring Annie's position in Buffy's office, Connor sat in one of the chairs in front of Angel's office.

Angel opened a bottle of whiskey and poured some in a glass.

"Not of your business." Angel replied, taking a sip of his drink. Connor shrugged, took a glass and poured some whiskey for himself. Angel frowned, still not getting used to the fact his son was over thirty and could legally drink and partake in whatever adult entertainment he wished to.

"Is it so bad?" Connor asked, bringing Angel back to the conversation. Angel turned on his computer and simply nodded.

"Things are not the same anymore." Angel said. Connor remained silent for few minutes. Angel was already working when Connor surprised him once more.

"Do you miss being a vampire?"

Angel refused with a bit too much enthusiasm, and as usual, something inside of him cried in outrage.

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North London

November 2017

Buffy and Annie finally arrived home.

Annie had fallen asleep on the passenger's seat on the long road back home. Buffy had tried to talk to Angel about what had been happening between them in the past months, but he'd left the Council an hour or so after their meeting in Giles' office had ended.

Connor had left with him, which meant they were either out drinking or were hunting.

In both scenarios, it meant they wouldn't return home until late the next day.

Buffy parked her small car in the garage, and carefully carried Annie out of the car and into their home. Set in the not so nearby suburbs in northern London, Giles had bought pieces of land if any of his three children wanted to settle there. Since Willow had been traveling around the world and Xander had left for Japan, the entire land finally belonged to Buffy.

There, she'd built her home; a two level structure heavily resembling her old home located in 1630 Revello Drive back in Sunnydale. The house wasn't that large, but the surrounding grounds were large enough to plant quite a number of trees and create a make believe woods, where many slayers trained under her command.

Buffy laid her precious charge on her bed and closed the door to her room, only to suddenly find herself face to face with Connor. She let out a small yelp of surprise.

"Dammit, Connor, you scared me!" She said. Connor simply smiled.

"Sorry, Buffy." He chuckled. "Have you seen Angel?"

Buffy frowned.

"No. Thought he was with you."

Connor shook his head.

"Lost him a couple hours ago. He was in a hell of a mood."

Buffy shrugged and walked to the kitchen, Connor following a step behind.

"What did you do to him this time?" Connor asked. Buffy knew the question had no ill meaning.

"Your guess is as good as mine." She answered. "I don't even know what sets him off these days."

Already inside the kitchen, Connor sat in one of the stools surrounding the small table in the middle, as Buffy began to prepare coffee.

"He's always resented me for a number of things." Buffy began to talk, knowing Connor would lend a sympathetic ear. "First, because I wasn't the ever prepared slayer he thought I'd be. Second, because he was a vampire and felt he couldn't be with me. Later on, because I was no longer the scared little girl in need of him, and finally, because I earn more money and hold a higher position inside the Council."

Connor listened in silence, looking at the woman who'd been his stepmother for the past fifteen years. He saw a small woman, still young and packing a lot of power. The woman in front of him had dealt with many things in her life, and still managed to help him and be a great mother for Annie.

"You know how he gets sometimes." Connor replied, accepting the cup of coffee Buffy gave him. "You've known him longer than I have."

Buffy laughed loud.

"Right. Lot of help that's been."

Connor smiled, thanked her for the cup of coffee and left.

Buffy stood alone in the middle of the kitchen, going through all the events in her life alongside Angel.

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Morning came and a loud crash and a muffled cry awoke Buffy.

She immediately sat up in her bed and sought the warm body next to hers. She wasn't surprised when she found none, and the side of the bed her husband usually occupied cold. Sighing, she realized it was a trait Angel had displayed ever since the first time they'd slept together, when she was a seventeen-year-old girl.

Leaping off the bed, she picked up her robe from the exact same spot she'd let it fall the night before. She slowly opened the door and listened.

Hearing soft laughs and words, she sighed.

Sometimes it was just too much trouble having super powered people living in her house.

She walked outside of her bedroom and looked up, where the trap door leading to the attic was slightly ajar. She pulled the cord and the stairs slowly descended. As she walked up the stairs, she decided she'd have to stop those impromptu sparring matches Annie and Connor usually had. Once in the attic, she heard the sharp intakes of breath and some colorful words coming from both fighters.

'Busted.' Buffy thought. She found Annie sitting on the pads she'd once installed up there, her back to where she stood, and Connor kneeling in front of her daughter.

"What happened?" Buffy asked, crossing her arms. Connor looked like the proverbial deer caught in the headlights and Annie didn't turn to acknowledge her question.

"Uh, we were sparring, and…" Connor seemed too flustered to continue. Buffy slowly walked and faced her daughter. Annie had her hands covering her face, and on closer inspection, a small line of blood trickled down her left cheek.

"Is it bad?" Buffy asked. Both Connor and Annie shook their heads no. Buffy sighed.

"Go downstairs, Connor. Bring some alcohol and bandages, please."

Connor nodded and leapt downstairs.

"Let me see." Buffy said, kneeling in front of Annie. Her daughter shook her head no.

"Let me see." Buffy repeated.

"You'll get mad." Annie said, her hands still covering her face.

"If you don't let me see, I will get mad." Buffy stated, her voice firm. Annie slowly removed her hands and Buffy finally saw the damage. Annie had a cut on her left eyebrow, bleeding profusely.

"What have I told you about sparring with Connor?" Buffy asked as she carefully inspected the cut.

"I know, I know." Annie replied. "But since he stayed overnight, and we were both bored, we wanted to train for a while. I also wanted to see if I could take him this time."

Buffy smiled. Her daughter was so much like her, always wanting to fight someone stronger. Connor quickly returned with a bowl filled with warm water, a clean towel, a bottle of alcohol and some bandages. He set them aside and knelt down besides Buffy.

"It's not so big." He said, inspecting the cut. "Also deep. I told you to duck."

"I wanted to side sweep you." Annie said, holding her head up as both her mother and her brother looked at her cut. "You moved too fast."

"No, you just moved too slow." Connor joked. Both of them smiled.

"Enough, both of you." Buffy interrupted. "There will be no more fighting in this house, understood?"

She gently cleaned Annie's face and eyebrow, the cut already closed, because of Annie's quick healing. Buffy poured some alcohol on a clean end of the towel and cleaned the cut. Not wanting it to reopen, Buffy placed some butterfly bandages on the cut.

"There." Buffy said. "Just keep it clean." The three of them stood up and brushed their clothes.

"Let's go downstairs." She continued. "I'll fix you two some breakfast." Buffy walked to the trap door and was about to climb downstairs when she heard Annie speak.

"It's going to leave a scar." Connor said. Annie practically growled and stood in front of the nearest mirror.

"Man, I don't want to have a scarred eyebrow." She said, looking at herself in the mirror.

Buffy froze and turned to look at her daughter, staring intently at her reflection.

She slowly walked until she was right behind her daughter in the mirror. Annie was already taller than her, so the image reflecting depicted only her daughter. Annie held her hair back and smirked, raising her eyebrow.

"I think I'll get used to it." She said. "Looks menacing."

Buffy stared at her daughter's reflection.

Blue eyes.

Blonde hair.

Scarred eyebrow.

The smirk.

She felt nauseous and ran downstairs, straight into the bathroom.

End of Chapter


	8. One Sided Conversations With Tombstones

**Chapter 7**

**One Sided Conversations with Tombstones**

**A/N:** Seventh chapter of the series. I'll try to post a chapter every week or sooner. Lost many readers on previous stories because of not uploading chapters soon enough, so I'll try to keep a regular schedule on this story. I know I've been repeating the names of chapters from other used in previous stories. Don't have an actual explanation. Guess I can't always come up with original names for all.

**Disclaimer:** Property of Joss Whedon and all parties responsible for airing the shows. Other original characters are mine, and some others will be explained as the story goes on.

**Feedback: **Sure, if you wish.

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London, England

The Pantheon

November 2017

"It's been a while."

Buffy stood alone in the furthest corner of the Pantheon. She'd served breakfast to Annie and Connor and excused herself. She'd been in the middle of a hot shower when she decided she'd been away far too long.

She'd parked her car in her private spot back at the Council's garage, worked for an hour or so and gladly indulged herself with huge amounts of coffee. She'd slowly walked down the stairs, out of the building and the four blocks to the Pantheon.

She had walked into the Magic Box, named after the old store back in Sunnydale, where employees greeted her. She'd asked to be left alone while in the Pantheon; no one was allowed to lay foot there while she was there.

No one.

The employees nodded and went by their business.

Buffy had taken the usual tour. Brought flowers to her mother's grave, prayed and talked to her for a while. She'd gone one to pay her respects to everyone else around, even taking time to visit the beautiful bush Giles had procured in memory of Jenny Calendar.

After she was certain everyone had been remembered, she headed to the south end of the Pantheon, far away.

There, a dark tombstone stood alone. Made entirely of black marble, the small block had no engravings and weed had grown around it. Buffy frowned as she realized no one paid attention to the site. She knelt and began pulling off the weeds, not caring if she ruined her clothes, or if she got soiled with mud. She patiently pulled out every offending weed.

'So long.' She thought. 'I'm sorry, so sorry.'

No one had asked, twelve years ago, about the dark tombstone with no name. No one had dared to question her when she asked for a private moment and spent all night inside the Pantheon.

She still could remember.

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London, England

The Pantheon

March 2005

Those who knew Buffy Summers developed a sixth sense regarding her ever changing mood.

The slayer had requested a moment for herself, and everyone had respected her wishes and had disappeared, leaving her alone with the black marble and her daughter.

Buffy had ignored them all, and had only asked Dawn if she wanted to tag along. Her young sister had frowned and questioned her motives, but Buffy replied she'd explain later.

Dawn had agreed, and the two sisters and a baby had entered the Pantheon as night fell.

The freshly installed fountain with the warrior angel watched over them as they prayed in front of their mother's grave, paid their respects to every other individual buried and walked away, Dawn following her and baby Annie in her arms.

Dawn had stared questioningly at her sister all the time, and Buffy realized her sister needed to know certain things.

"You once complained about us not treating you as an adult." Buffy began. "I apologize. We merely wanted to spare you the things we feared ourselves. It was never meant as a way to keep you out, or to cut you off from us."

"Kinda figured that out." Dawn replied.

"You are no longer fifteen." Buffy continued. "You are already eighteen, and I guess I can confide in you."

"What about?" Dawn asked. Buffy shook her head.

"Not yet." The slayer replied. "We're waiting for someone else."

"Who?" Dawn asked. "You didn't want anyone to come."

Buffy only smiled in response. Dawn was about to ask again when someone quietly stood next to her.

"Holy shit!" Dawn cried. Buffy nudged her and greeted Cordelia. The angel nodded.

"Don't do that again!" Dawn said, her hands over her chest. "You scared the crap out of me!"

Cordelia did not answer, her eyes lost in the distance. Buffy took a step closer to the angel and looked at the object she was clutching between her hands.

"Is it…?" The slayer asked. Cordelia slowly revealed a small box, hidden previously between her hands.

"Yes." The angel whispered. "Still, you know…"

Buffy nodded, which merely increased Dawn's confusion.

"Ok, Buffy, you were saying…?" Dawn asked, waiting for an explanation. Buffy didn't answer, and balancing the weight of her child to her left arm, she reached out with her right hand and took the small wooden box out of Cordelia's hands.

She looked at it, sighed and handed it to Dawn.

The young girl stared at it and didn't know what to do with it.

"Open it." Cordelia said. Dawn did as asked and discovered the contents of the box. She saw a silver ring inside, and nothing more. She narrowed her eyes and carefully picked it up for a closer inspection. Buffy nearly gasped.

"I've seen this ring before." Dawn said and then turned her head towards Buffy. "It's yours, isn't it?"

Buffy merely walked away, and Dawn turned to look at Cordelia. "Could someone explain?"

"I…" Buffy tried to continue, but only felt a lump on her throat. She held Annie closer to her chest, the baby fast asleep.

"The ring holds many memories, Dawnie." Cordelia spoke. "I don't know if I should be the one to tell, but we're here to pay our respects."

"Back in Sunnydale," Buffy suddenly spoke, "when I was… gone, the others brought me back. That much you know."

Buffy didn't look at her sister as she spoke.

"I didn't know how to live." She continued. "There were no reasons. Do… do you remember when we sang? What I sang?"

"Yes." Dawn replied.

"And do you remember what Spike sung?"

Dawn's features hardened, and she crossed her arms.

"What does he have to do with this?" She asked, her voice harsh. Cordelia softly touched Dawn's shoulder, and all the anger and resentment the child had felt disappeared.

"Hey, how did you…?"

"I found refuge in him." Buffy spoke, interrupting Dawn's question. "Do you remember what he said? 'You have to keep on living, so one of us is living.'"

The three women stood in silence, the wind picking up around them, as if it felt their emotions.

"He helped me, Dawnie." Buffy continued. "He really did. But soon things went downhill and we both hurt each other so much. There was so much pain, Dawnie. So much sorrow."

"Yeah, and he hauled ass after he cheated on you with Anya." Dawn replied, feeling the anger coming back. "Then he showed up and he threatened you and wanted to take me for a test drive."

Buffy cringed.

"That's what Angel and Xander told you, Dawnie." Buffy said. "And I allowed them to fill your head with lies."

Dawn uncrossed her arms and the look of confusion returned.

"So you once again kept the truth to yourself." She said.

"I just didn't know how you would react." Buffy replied, not knowing what else to say. Cordelia looked at both sisters, and decided it was time for her to act.

"I do believe you need to see for yourself." The angel said, as she placed her hand over Dawn's forehead.

"What are you gonna…?"

But the words didn't come.

Buffy noticed how Dawn's pupils dilated and stood there, motionless. The slayer knew what was happening, having already experienced Cordelia's 'out of body' experiences. She cringed inside, knowing it wasn't fair, but if someone needed to know the truth, it was Dawn.

She'd had a close bond with Spike, shattered when the gang had brought Buffy back from the dead. All that summer, Spike had been babysitting Dawn, but the moment Buffy had been brought back, Spike had been demoted back to fifth class citizen.

They'd just completely shut him out, even after he'd been the only friend the young girl had.

Minutes went by and Cordelia took her hand off Dawn's forehead. Buffy saw how the young girl's pupils slowly turned back to normal, and the blue eyes soon filled with tears.

"Why?" The girl asked.

Buffy had no answer, and the look of betrayal on her sister's eyes was driving a dagger into her heart.

"That's Spike." Buffy said, her voice breaking. "He just had to go all the way."

"I'm sorry." Cordelia said. "I'm truly sorry, but you had to see it. You needed to know what happened. He deserved it."

"His ashes." Dawn said. Cordelia and Buffy looked away. When receiving no answer, Dawn decided not to press the issue.

"This is all we have." Buffy said. "I do believe he earned his place here."

Dawn and Cordelia nodded.

"I don't want anyone else to know." She continued. "They wouldn't understand. They never tried, especially regarding Spike. I don't want them defiling this small honor. The only honor I can give him."

The three women and the baby decided to place the small tombstone on the south end of the Pantheon, on a still undisturbed patch of green grass.

"Here?" Dawn asked. "Shouldn't he…?" She motioned to where the angel stood, several feet away.

"I don't anyone trying to get him out." Buffy said, carefully handing her baby to Cordelia. "He deserves his own place, where no one will question his right to stay here."

Leaning next to the wall, a small shovel stood. Buffy took the item and jammed it into the grass, taking only a small patch of it and dirt away. She held her hand out to Dawn, who still had the box between her own hands. Dawn placed the ring back inside and tears once again threatened to spill out.

"So much love." She whispered. She closed the box and gave it back to Buffy. The slayer took it and with respect, she placed it in the ground. She slowly covered the box with dirt and placed back the patch of grass. Reaching out, she took the marble and, with all her strength, jammed it next to the improvised grave.

Dawn helped her up and stared at the tombstone.

"It feels so cold." Dawn said. "So impersonal. He deserved something more."

"We know." Cordelia said. "This is what we can give him."

The three women and a baby stood, looking down at the simple grave, almost an insult to how full of life the vampire had been.

"He was my friend." Dawn spoke, not knowing why, simply feeling something had to be said. "He took care of me. He talked to me and listened when no one else did. He didn't treat me like a spoiled child and didn't ignore me when he didn't know what to say. He showed me loyalty. He was my strength for a hundred and forty seven days of hell. He was my only friend. He loved me."

She couldn't hold back the tears and some of them rolled down her face. She knelt down in front of the black marble and cried openly.

Cordelia softly caressed the tombstone.

"Why black?" She softly asked. Buffy stood next to her and also touched the tombstone.

"Would he want it in any other color?" She replied. "Can you imagine Spike wearing something other than black?"

Cordelia shook her head.

The three women and a baby spent the rest of the night talking about their private memories of the fallen vampire, alone within the Pantheon, a place designed for heroes fallen while fighting for the world.

A place designed for heroes who placed others before themselves.

A place for those who'd helped the slayer make the world a better place.

The Pantheon was a place where even a soulless vampire had three women and a baby praying for him.

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The Pantheon

November 2017

Buffy opened the bag she'd been carrying and took out a beer, a pack of cigarettes and a small Tupper ware.

"I never knew what kind of beer you liked." Buffy said. "Or what brand of cigarettes you smoked. Me? I favor Marlboro lights. They don't pack that much wallop."

Buffy sat next to the dark tombstone, already showing the effects of weather, after twelve years. Free of weeds, Buffy could clearly see the tiny cracks already showing on the once smooth surface. She opened the Guinness beer and took a deep gulp.

"So much to tell. Where should I begin?" Buffy scratched her head, a smile on her face. "Oh, yeah. Manchester U. won, and is… six, yeah, six points ahead of the closest team. Annie clocked a kid named Danny Glick and broke his nose. Angel is still being a ponce and is now an alcoholic. I swear, if I'd known how he'd turn to be as a human, I sure as hell would have stopped you from wishing him to become one."

She took another sip of the beer and poured the rest on top of the grass. She opened the pack of cigarettes, took one out and lit it up. She took a deep breath and enjoyed the strange figures the smoke made upon releasing it from her lungs.

"I sure as hell miss you sometimes." She continued. "It's refreshing to come here, because I can bitch about life. It was the same as when you were alive, but I miss your snarky comebacks, or those deep insights you had."

Buffy sat in silence for a while, smoking her cigarette and her eyes closed, and almost feeling Spike sitting next to her. She soon finished her cigarette and turned it off against the sole of her boot. She dug out a bit of earth next to the tombstone and buried the butt in there.

"I know you'd hate a light cigarette, but it's all I can take." She blew a kiss at the ground as she stood up. "I'll be back sometime next week. Still need to complain about the newest fight looming in the horizon. Plus, there's still nineteen cigarettes left in this package."

She opened the Tupper ware to reveal its contents.

"Spicy buffalo wings. Your favorite." She closed the container again. "Can't leave one of these in here. Don't want any rats or strange animals feasting on it."

She brushed off her clothes and placed the empty bottle, the pack of cigarettes and her junk food back inside her bag.

"See you next time, Spike, ol' pal." She took a few steps away and then looked back, a smile on her face. "These greasy things?" She said, her smile growing.

"They're Annie's favorite as well."

End of Chapter.


	9. Do You Want Me To Lie?

Chapter 8 Do You Want Me To Lie? 

**A/N:** Eight chapter of the series.

**Disclaimer:** Property of Joss Whedon and all parties responsible for airing the shows. Other original characters are mine, and some others will be explained as the story goes on.

**Feedback:** Sure, if you wish.

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London, England

The Watcher's Council

December 2017

Twenty three days had gone by since the incident recorded on Cleveland, USA.

Agent Parker, his men and the slayers involved in said event had been relocated and reinstated to their duties within the Council. Said agent found himself standing in front of Rupert Giles' desk inside his office.

"We need to talk, Richard." Giles said, as he motioned for the agent to take a seat.

"What about, sir?" Agent Parker replied, sitting down. Giles sighed as he took off his glasses.

"No need to use protocol." Giles said. "Let's talk like friends."

"Is that what we are?" Richard Parker asked.

"We once were." Giles almost whispered. Parker crossed his arms.

"You want an explanation." Parker continued. "I told you before. It was a strange accident."

"There's no such thing as an accident." Giles replied. "You know that as well as I do."

"Can't find another way to explain what happened." Parker said. "Already filed a report. You read it. Your kid read it. Everything that happened is there."

"Don't lie to me, Richard." Giles said. "Forget the fact I'm your current employer, I know you don't actually need this job. Talk to me. Out of respect of a past friendship."

"Then believe me." Parker said as he stood up. "I can't explain what happened. I won't find excuses, as well. I'm well aware of the fact there are no accidents. We were together in Watcher's Academy."

"That's why you know you can tell me what happened." Giles said as he stood up as well. "I won't judge you. I still owe you."

"You don't owe me anything." Parker replied. "What happened when you became Ripper is long forgotten. If you value that past friendship as much as you claim to, then believe me."

Parker leaned on the desk and stared deep into Giles' eyes.

"Something happened that night, I'm aware." Parker practically hissed. "Can't tell you what it was, but it fucked us."

Giles answered nothing.

"It seriously fucked us." Parker repeated. "It's almost as if someone wanted that info to go public."

Parker kept staring and after a few moments he turned around and left Giles' office. The head watcher looked at his once friend walk away and looked at the file in his desk. He read it again and frowned when something didn't match with the report on his computer. He narrowed his eyes and took of his glasses, cleaning them with his handkerchief. He put them back on and checked both reports again.

He cursed out loud.

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Buffy had been locked inside her office all morning, staring at the papers scattered in her desk.

She read them over and over again and she still couldn't seem to focus on them enough to work. She knew she didn't have to actually read them all, just had to sign them and send them via intern mail, but she couldn't bring herself to work.

Three black words in a paper stood out from all the other papers.

Notification of Divorce

In the past days, she had come to realize her marriage with Angel had been on the rocks for far too long. They'd drifted apart long before she even turned twenty one, still not pregnant with Annie, still in Sunnydale. She allowed herself some self-pity when accepting her marriage had ended months ago, if not years.

She had some good memories out of it, though. Her wedding had been beautiful, that much she remembered. Angel had tried so hard to make her happy, but that had been part of the problem in their whole marriage. He tried too hard, as if the intent itself wasn't real and he had to remind himself to try.

However, he'd given her the best gift in her whole life, and she would always love him because of that. She remembered how happy she'd been when Annie was born. The best moment of all her life, and she owed it all to Angel.

Buffy sighed again and leaned back on her chair. Staring at the tiles up, she thought about how she had tried to save her marriage; how she'd struggled and tried so hard to stop such a fateful ending, but it had all gone to hell.

She knew about Angel's previous stint as a human; he'd been a womanizer and an alcoholic who had no ambition in life. History repeating, it seemed, because Angel had not shown interest in anything after he'd taken down Wolfram & Hart. All the fire inside of him was gone, and she began to grow tired of his brooding.

That had been thirteen years ago, and he still couldn't get over it.

Buffy shook her head and decided it was time to get back to work. She placed the divorce papers away in a drawer and began to read the more pressing documents in her desk.

Her intercom suddenly buzzed and she picked the phone up.

"Buffy here."

"Buffy. My office. Now."

Giles' tone meant he was dead serious.

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"What is it, grandpa?" Buffy asked as she slowly walked inside Giles' office.

"Close the door and lock it, please." Giles said. Buffy frowned but did as instructed and shuffling her feet she heavily sat in one of the chairs in front of Giles' desk.

"What is it?" She asked. Giles handed her the file Agent Parker had turned in and he turned his PC's monitor so she could take a look at it.

"What?" Buffy asked as she looked at the file in her hands and at the screen. She quickly compared the data and found no discrepancies.

"There's a name missing." Giles said. Buffy looked closer.

"Dammit." She said after a few moments.

"Kennedy." Giles said.

"Kennedy." Buffy repeated, almost growling the name.

"Been trying to track her down." Giles said, as he signaled at the Locator Screen. "She's still in Cleveland and not answering our calls."

"That stupid bint is going to ruin everything." Buffy smacked her hand on the desk.

"The FBI is still trying to connect us to the Cleveland incident." Giles continued. "Seems they weren't all that satisfied after their visit two weeks ago."

"Yeah, as if feds could find anything at all." Buffy smirked.

"Right. Problem is, they have video and pictures of the incident, and Kennedy running around Cleveland could very well be a threat to us." Giles continued.

"They're going to track her down with the images." Buffy deadpanned. Giles nodded.

"What should we do?" Buffy asked.

"She'll have to be brought back here." Giles replied. "But I can't have any other slayer connected to this. That leaves us with one logical solution."

"Illyria." Buffy replied.

"Correct." Giles said. "But with your husband's current mood, I don't know if he'll help us with her.

"Meaning…?"

"Yes." Giles answered, pinching his nose. "We'll have to send Wesley."

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London's weather provided safety for most kind of demons roaming the Earth.

Particularly, cloudy rainy days meant almost no sunlight most of the times, giving vampires a chance to move around during the day and presented them with the chance to make acquaintances.

Even with the present threat of the Council above their heads, they possessed yet another good ally. The London subway system gave them access to most of the city without ever needing to go upstairs, free to live without bother.

Curiously, Illyria had found London comfortable as well.

The cold weather reminded her of her long lost home, thousands of years ago. Even the lack of warmth in most of the British had helped her feel more at ease in such a strange place than in the ever sunny piece of land humans called California.

That, and the fact she had her guide back.

She still couldn't understand what had happened all those years ago. For an immortal god, thirteen years were nothing. Almost a heartbeat, yet she had come to feel things were not as wrong as how she felt when she'd been brought to such a plane of existence.

Some things still bothered her. Many things that were not supposed to occupy the mind of someone as old as she.

First, she thought of herself as a she, forcing herself to be defined because of the shell she inhabited.

Second, she was disturbed because of the lack of attention she received from humans.

Third, she was angered she even cared about the lack of attention.

Fourth, she believed the soul of the shell she inhabited hadn't been as burnt away as she first thought.

What had forced it to hang strong, to remain when her power and own soul burnt everything away?

Illyria had her ideas about it, and most of them dealt with Wesley, a simple human who had far more flaws than abilities. A man who killed even when human laws explicitly forbade it; a man who loved the shell she was caught inside more than his own life.

A man who'd died in her arms long ago, and today walked besides her.

"I find you unusually quiet." Illyria spoke, finding the action easier the longer she lived among humans. If she had possessed a sense of humor, she would have found it funny, because she really hated to talk, seeing how humans lost most of their time listening to their own voices instead of actually taking action.

However, Wesley rarely spoke, and she felt something tug her insides every time he did not answer her questions.

"You ask me the same thing everyday." Wesley answered, not looking at her and never slowing his pace. Illyria kept her eyes on him, having learnt the road years ago, as it was the same Wesley took every single day.

No more words left the former watcher's mouth.

The goddess sighed, finding the action oddly comforting, and kept walking besides her quiet companion.

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Wesley Wyndham Pryce hated life.

He'd hated it ever since he'd been six years old, the first time he remembered feeling pain. He'd grown up inside the halls of the old Council, looking up to his father, awed because of the power and respect the older man commanded. The watcher had been strong, a natural born leader, and everyone who looked at Wesley felt disappointed that the strength in the Wyndham family had obviously skipped a generation.

"He know his place." His father had said. "He won't be a complete disappointment."

The old man's enormous hand had fallen in his shoulder, strong and almost forceful, and his eyes spoke not of love or pride when they fell on Wesley's, but of resentment and shame.

'What did I do that was so wrong?' Wesley had thought. 'Why are you so ashamed of me? Why don't you love me like I love you?'

The answers never came. The only refuge Wesley found was in his mother, and even she fell under the old man's regime of maturity and manners. He never rose to his father's impossible standards, and was sent away that very spring to the Watcher's Academy.

Hidden under the guise of military school, the Academy proved to be a strong test, having his father's shadow and fame looming above him.

Needless to say, he tried harder to become someone his father could love, training earnestly, reading everything he could, becoming an outsider in a school full of outsiders.

He succeeded in becoming a watcher, but the approval and love never came.

Then came all his failures, all his regrets, all the pain and even his own death. Moments before dying he'd known he wouldn't go anywhere but hell. He would not see Fred ever again, knowing the goddess holding him wasn't the woman he loved.

He didn't want to remember what had happened between the moment he closed his eyes and the time he rose back from the grave.

He didn't want to think about that, and he specially didn't want to think about what had returned with him.

Something beeped and vibrated in his pocket. He sighed, rubbed his eyes and took out his cell phone. The caller ID displayed a number he knew already by heart. He turned around and noticed Illyria was staring at the cell in his hand.

"Stop that noise." She ordered. Wesley smirked, still not understanding why he felt the need to annoy the goddess walking next to him. Maybe if he insulted her often enough she'd get tired of him and kill him. The ringing continued and he was forced to answer.

"What." He said.

"Wesley." Giles spoke. "I know you don't want us to bother you, but we need to talk to you."

"Do you need me or do you need Illyria?" He asked. Giles sighed.

"You know I wouldn't bother you if I had any other choice." Giles replied.

"There's always Angel." Wesley offered.

"Can't find him" Giles answered. "I'm really sorry, but we need your assistance."

Wesley listened and ended the conversation without speaking another word. He placed the cell back on his pocket and stared at Illyria.

"Do you wish to do some violence?"

End of Chapter


	10. Mother Knows Best

Chapter 9 Mother Knows Best 

**A/N:** Ninth chapter of the series.

**Disclaimer:** Property of Joss Whedon and all parties responsible for airing the shows. Other original characters are mine, and some others will be explained as the story goes on.

**Feedback:** Sure, if you wish.

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London, England

The Watcher's Council

December 2017

"What did he say?" Buffy asked the moment Giles hung up his phone. Giles took off his glasses and heavily leaned back on his chair.

"Nothing, as usual." He replied. "I guess that means he'll do it. What I'm worried about is the way they'll do it."

"Or how Kennedy will react." Buffy finished Giles' thought. "Maybe I should go with them."

Giles seemed to ponder the idea, but quickly shook his head.

"I need you here." Giles said. "We don't know what is going to happen, when it's going to happen or if it even is going to happen. I want you to get ready for anything."

"Get ready for what? Like you said, we have no idea what we'll face." Buffy asked.

"You'll think of something, I'm sure." Giles answered. "We can only hope Cordelia gives us a heads up beforehand."

Buffy nodded. She hadn't prepared for battle in way too long. She didn't know how she could do it once more, after thirteen years of relative peace.

She rubbed her temples, thinking of how sometimes being leader sucked.

------------------------

Connor punched the training bag as hard as he could.

The young man, even though he was already in his thirties, looked as young as he'd been twelve or fourteen years ago. His hair was shorter and looked a lot like Angel's. He still kept in touch with his fake parents, but they had already accepted a long time ago he was meant for bigger things.

That didn't mean he didn't miss them sometimes.

He'd tried to find Angel for the past days, but it seemed his father didn't want to be found at all. Connor hated how his father sometimes reversed to the Angelus persona without even realizing it. It was just wrong how his father treated his wife.

True, Buffy wasn't all that smart, all that beautiful, but she'd been faithful, loyal, a great friend for him and a kickass mother for Annie.

He punched again; one, two, three times before the bag's chain finally gave up and the thing went flying away a good fifteen feet before landing.

Connor wiped the sweat off his forehead and sat on the floor. He looked around at the private training room, located in the sixth floor, next to most of the offices there. Only those of his family were allowed in there and he appreciated the sense of privacy it withheld. It helped him concentrate and focus on the problems at hand.

He remembered when Annie was born. It hadn't exactly thrilled him, but he'd been happy for Angel and Annie. He'd been asked to take her with him when Angel brought down the Circle of the Black Thorn. Connor ran his hands through his hair, and feared the mark of the Circle could be somehow controlling his father's actions.

But it was thirteen years after, and he knew the Senior Partners would not have waited so long to influence Angel.

"I'm all right if you're safe." His father had said. "But if you really want to help, keep Annie safe."

And safe he'd kept her. Even when slayers and Angel's friends had fallen, he'd managed to keep his baby sister safe, fighting in the sidelines.

Victory came, but at the cost of many lives. In the midst of it all, in the middle of the massive destruction and all of Angel's bad calls, Buffy had remained by his side, helping him and giving him support.

The only thing they didn't agree on was Buffy's need to use an old leather coat while she fought alongside Angel. His father had gone apeshit when he saw her with the coat, but Connor had later learnt the thing had once belonged to a slayer. It was only fit that a slayer wore it to ballet again.

Besides that, why in hell was Angel being such an ass with the woman of his dreams, as he so clearly had stated it before?

'Damned if I know.' Connor thought.

Wind picked up and Connor frowned. The training room was airtight and locked beyond all access. He attuned every sense to everything around and he couldn't pick up anything beyond the air swirling around.

Electricity filled the air and Connor relaxed, knowing it only meant a higher being was about to appear.

'Cordelia.' He thought, and he knew an awkward moment laid ahead, remembering what had happened between them.

An image, definitively female, began to appear in front of him. He took a step back, crossed his arms and waited for the figure to materialize.

Something wasn't quite right when Connor realized the woman wasn't as tall as Cordelia and her hair was longer than he remembered.

The figure appeared completely and Connor took a step back. The woman approached him and placed a hand on his face, caressing it.

"You sure have become a handsome man, Connor."

Connor couldn't find the words to reply. The woman smiled and held her arms open.

"Come give your mother a hug." Darla said, a smile appearing on her face.

-----------------------

Darla's smile was honest and true.

She stared at her son, now a grown man. She'd truly wanted to see him grow, and she'd gotten a few chances while doing time in the netherworld. Connor had been her redemption while still growing inside of her. She had loved him and had shared a soul with him, giving her the chance to realize the damage she'd inflicted to the world in four hundred years of murder and pain.

She'd once tried to keep him from going down the wrong path; the path she had taken centuries before, being an unseen hand guiding him through the hard years of his youth, and she'd been thankful for every chance she got to see him.

"Open your eyes, Connor." Darla said, noticing how her son had closed his eyes and turned his head away from her. "What is it, son?"

"Last time you saw me." Connor said, his eyes still closed. "What I did. What you tried to stop me from doing. I…"

Darla once again placed her hand on her son's face.

"Look at me, Connor." She softly said. "Talk to me."

Connor slowly turned his head and opened his eyes. He met his mother's eyes and found none of the anger or hate he expected to see in them. He only saw a mother's love, a feeling he never thought he could receive from Darla, a soulless vampire.

"Still thinking of me as a vampire?" She asked, her smile never leaving.

"Not like that." Connor chuckled. "I think of you as a vampire because you had me while you were still one. Not a human. Who can honestly say his mother was a soulless vampire who gave her life for his own?"

"Don't think every kid can say that, but you'd be surprised." Darla replied.

Connor's answer was a questioning frown.

"Never mind." Darla continued. "I suppose you've all received the latest news."

"Yeah." Connor replied. "Another apocalypse. Getting tired of those, you know."

"I guess so." Darla answered. "But it's not that simple this time."

"It never is."

"The point is, we were not allowed to give all the info we received." She looked around the training room and found a small cot. She motioned to it and both went to sit on it. They remained like that for a while, enjoying each other's company.

"Huh." Darla suddenly said.

"What?"

"A vampire inside the Council." Darla chuckled.

"Not a vampire." Connor said, shaking his head. "A higher being, for the looks of it."

Both smiled, and remained in silence for a while, until Darla sighed.

"I'd like to stay with you longer." She said. "But I don't have much time."

Connor nodded, while Darla slowly stood up.

"Balance was torn, that much you know." She said. "Why it was broken, I cannot tell. You just have to know a large battle is coming."

"Great."

"There are things that may actually help us." Darla continued. "But I know it won't be that easy. There are several sides to this battle. The Powers That Be, the Senior Partners, the human army and a fourth, yet to appear party. The Powers and the Partners have had an uneasy truce for millennia, but it has now come to an end. They are assembling their armies on this plane before taking the fight to theirs."

"It's because of what Angel did, right?" Connor asked, also standing up. "When he brought down the Circle of the Black Thorn."

"That only bought you time." Darla replied. "It took them all this time to regroup and assess the damage caused because of the lack of Balance. It is known as the second war."

"Huh?"

"Balance was already disrupted." Darla answered. "The fight for Sunnydale was the first war."

Connor seemed more confused than before.

"Listen, you are part of this fight, whether you want or not." Darla said. "You will become a general in the army of the Powers. You'll have to be ready for it."

"You spoke of things that might help us." Connor interrupted. "What is it?"

"A choice that will not be yours to take." Darla said. "But it will affect your family. I can't tell you much, but you have to keep your sister safe."

"Of course." He replied. "You know it."

"The army assembled by the Senior Partners is a powerful one." Darla said. "This are bad news, I know, but I need you to be prepared, even if others aren't. The other higher beings trust too much, and I'm not sure if that is a good thing. This battle holds not only the future of this earth, son, but the fate of universe itself."

"I'll need help." He suddenly said. "That is what you're trying to tell me, right?"

"I won't be able to help you." She sadly said. "At least not physically."

"You will still be by my side, right?"

Darla nodded.

"There are some people you'll need by your side." She continued. "First of all, you'll need Annie by your side. You'll have to keep her sharp and in shape, even if her parents don't agree. She's crucial to it all. Second, Illyria and Wesley are powerful allies who will not stop to do what's right. Their knowledge will prove useful as well."

She fell silent after the last words. Connor sought an answer with his eyes.

Darla sighed again.

"Most of all, you need the key."

"Once again, huh?"

Darla gave him a sad smile.

"You'll need Dawn Summers by your side."

End of Chapter


	11. A New Day in Italy

**Chapter 10**

**A New Day in Italy**

**A/N:** Chapter ten of the series. There's been a delay in the updates caused by the ever present threat of a thing called my day job. There has been no feedback and I don't know if there's anyone out there reading this, but I'll keep posting as fast as I can.

**Disclaimer:** All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows regarding the characters. Original characters are mine.

**Feedback:** If there is anyone reading, sure.

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Rome, Italy

December 2017

Dawn Katherine Summers couldn't complain about life.

For the past five years, she had managed to create a life of her own, away from all the dangers and heartaches inherent to life in late Sunnydale, California. She had a great job, good friends who liked her for who she was, a cool boyfriend and earned more than enough money to live a luxurious life.

Now a thirty year old woman, Dawn still felt uncomfortable when confronted with questions regarding her life pre-Italy. Questions about her family and life in the USA were quickly ignored and she changed the subject almost immediately after it was brought up. She merely smiled and described her past as 'complicated.'

Truth to be told, complicated didn't even begin to describe how she really felt about it; she coped with it and tried to live a new life. She had asked everyone behind to leave her alone and let her grow up on her own.

Being one of the members of the core group that reinstated the Council of Watchers back in London, Dawn had learnt quite a few languages, both human and demon. She'd trained with slayers and watchers alike, gaining abilities impressive enough for a young woman and helping her land her job as an archeologist.

Growing to become a beautiful woman, every male coworker referred to her as a mixture between Marie Curie, Lara Croft and Indiana Jones. She smiled every time she heard such remark, proud of herself, knowing she had the brains, the body and the skills.

'Mom would have been so proud.' She often thought, every time she discovered something new or every time she escaped unharmed from unknown dangers.

However, a single phone call was about to take that away from her.

---------------------

Dawn was quietly working on her office, going through numerous papers and countless photographs when her telephone beeped. She quickly picked up and muttered something when the operator paged the call.

"Dawn Summers here." She said.

"Dawn Katherine Summers?" The voice over the line called. Dawn cringed upon hearing her middle name.

"Uh, yeah, who is this?"

"Connor." The voice answered. A million thoughts crossed Dawn's mind, but there was a sign of alarm bleeping in her head. No one in Rome knew her middle name.

"What can I do for you, Connor?" She sweetly asked, hoping against hope it wasn't the Connor she once knew.

"You don't recognize my voice, do you?" Dawn sighed, and all hopes disappeared.

"Yeah, Connor, I recognized you."

"Not too happy to hear from me, I guess." He recognized.

"Nah, 's not like that." She replied. "It's just been one hell of a week. You calling can only mean there's bad news, right?"

Dawn had hoped he'd merely called to say 'hi', but the silence stretched long and she realized she was right on the spot.

"Afraid so." Connor answered. "There's been some recent developments and I need you here. In London."

"Is there a badly dressed ho running around looking for a locksmith?" Dawn asked.

"Huh?"

"Nevermind." Dawn rubbed her eyes. "What is it?"

"I don't feel comfortable talking about it on the phone." Connor said. "Hasn't Buffy called you?"

"I asked her not to inform me of your extra curricular activities." Dawn replied. "Unless it meant the end of the world, of course."

"Oh. Well, it could be the end of the world." He said. "I need to see you as soon as possible."

Dawn sighed, knowing she couldn't escape her past any longer.

"Right. I can be there this weekend and…"

"Not good." Connor interrupted. "Need to see you right now."

"Sorry?" She replied, staring at the phone as if it was alive. "Look, Connor, I can't just leave my job and…"

"I know." He interrupted again. "Can't worry about that, though…"

"Hey!" It was Dawn's turn to interrupt. "I left London because of shit like this! You can't control everyone else's life…!"

She was cut short when she heard a whispered 'sorry' and the line went dead. She stared once more at the phone and then around. She realized she'd left the door to her office open and many pairs of eyes were fixed on her. She offered them a sweet smile and graciously stood up.

"Ex boyfriend." She lied. "Doesn't understand the meaning of no." She slowly closed the door as the whispered voices began to gossip about their boss' love life. Dawn turned around and was about to sit down when a soft light began to surround her. Having learnt a bit of magic on her life, she recognized a teleport spell when she saw one. Not knowing where it could lead her, she sought the nearest object to be used as a weapon, finding only a letter opener.

Gripping it tightly, she closed her eyes as the light grew brighter and a sense of disembodiment and weightlessness filled her.

When she opened her eyes, she found herself alone in a darkened room, standing in the middle of a badly drawn pentagram on the floor, with lit candles on every corner of the figure.

She rubbed her eyes and strained to recognize her whereabouts.

A door opened to her left. Light filled the room and she stared at a man she thought she'd never see again.

"Welcome home, Dawn." Wesley said.

-----------------------------

"What is this?" Dawn asked, as the surprise slowly faded and anger gained ground.

"A spell." Wesley replied. "Thought you would recognize one."

"Obvious much?" Dawn replied, crossing her arms. Wesley shrugged and blew off the candles.

"Was asked to bring you here." Wesley said, staring into Dawn's eyes. "Talk to Connor."

"Right. In the middle of the day, I must say." Dawn said. "In front of everyone there!"

Wesley walked close to her, keeping eye contact.

"They'll probably be dead this time next year." He said. "So I don't really care."

Dawn felt her jaw hit the floor as the man standing next to her turned around and left the room. She placed the letter opener at her jeans' waistband, thinking she might need it later, and walked out of the room she'd appeared into. She closed the door and found herself at the Council's sixth floor, right outside of a closet. She walked and soon found herself face to face with Connor.

"Connor." She hissed. "Couldn't you have warned me?"

"I said there was no time." He replied.

She was on the edge of a hysterical fit, but she was no teenager anymore.

"Right. Talk to me, then."

Connor scratched his head. He looked around and his eyes fixed into his father's office.

"This way." He motioned for her to go ahead and soon they were sitting inside Angel's office, staring at each other.

"Ok, what has all of this got to do with me?" She asked.

"You really haven't kept touch with your sister." Connor sighed. "A couple weeks ago, higher beings appeared and warned us about an upcoming battle."

"Typical." Dawn said. "Must be Tuesday."

"Not so." Connor continued. "Their warning was cryptic, but they all agreed on the seriousness of the situation."

"As bad as usual?" Dawn asked.

"Yeah, pretty much." Connor leaned back on his seat. "Y'know, each time there's a warning they refer to it as an Apocalypse, capital 'A'."

"That gag is so tired."

"Seems like it." Connor smiled. "Anyways, I wasn't all that worried until I was the one to receive cryptic news."

"Ohh, interesting."

"There seem to be two sides to this battle." Connor explained. "One army battling for the Powers That Be and another one fighting for the Senior Partners."  
"Still not clear where I come in."

"I was warned that our army isn't all that serious about the fight, so I was asked to be prepared. I was to gather a group to help in this fight. It seems you are an integral part of this group."

Dawn chuckled.

"I don't want to be part of any war." She said. "Not anymore."

"I know." He said. "But looks like Annie plays an important part in this conflict."

"What?" She exclaimed, looking at Connor. "You can't be serious. Who gave you the info?"

"My mother."

"Who, Darla?" Dawn asked. Connor nodded.

"I'll need your help." He said. "We may be in this alone. I was asked to train Annie. Your help will be appreciated."

"What about Wesley?"

"He'll help us as well." Connor replied. "He's on his way now to the US to find a missing slayer. You might have seen the news a few days ago, when Kennedy's pack was caught on film fighting a Fyarl demon."

"That was Kennedy's pack?" Dawn asked, incredulous. "Stupid."

"Her pack was immediately shipped back here, but she's nowhere to be found." Connor continued. "She's now a liability, so Wesley was asked to bring her back."

"Let's hope nothing actually happens." Dawn said, standing up. "I'm gonna help you on this, but I don't like how you got me. I don't believe I'm saying this, but you'd better show me war, 'cause otherwise? I'm gonna kick your ass!"

Connor chuckled.

"Let's hope then you get to kick my ass."

End of Chapter


	12. We Are Family

Chapter 11 We Are Family 

**A/N:** Chapter eleven of the series.

**Disclaimer:** Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows own it.

**Feedback:** Sure, whatever.

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London, England

The Watcher's Council

December 2017

"What do you mean you lost him seventy two hour ago?"

Buffy was practically fuming as she stared at the screen. The video feed showed a rather nervous looking watcher, reporting back from the Ireland branch of the Council.

"Uh, sorry ma'am." The man said. "Angelus hasn't answered our pages or calls. We don't know where he is."

Buffy sighed.

"Ok. Thanks, anyways. Buffy Summers out." She closed the live feed and hid her face between her hands. Buffy sighed again, realizing Angel had bailed out of the fight and was nowhere to be found. She softly cursed again, hating how everyone in the Ireland branch referred to her husband as Angelus. Seemed like the UK had been Angelus' private playground, and those inside the Council couldn't forget the scourge of Europe.

As she though about it, she never figured out who was referred as the 'scourge of Europe', her husband alone or the four vampires who cut a swath through the continent a hundred years ago.

'What's wrong with him?' Her thoughts returned to Angel.

"Something wrong in heaven?"

Buffy's head shot up and her thoughts immediately disappeared as she saw her kid sister leaning on her office's doorframe. Buffy smiled and stood up.

"Hey there, kid."

Dawn smirked and hugged her sister.

"Hello, old timer."

"God, it's great to see you." Buffy said, looking at her sister from head to toe. "Looking good, kid. Really good."

"Thanks, sis. You too." Dawn returned the smile. "So, what's wrong?"

Buffy's smile almost faded, but she quickly covered it up.

"Not much." She lied. "Angel and I have been fighting lately, that's all."

"I've seen the 'fighting' face before, Buff." Dawn said. "The face you just had? It spelled big crap. What did tall, dark and forehead did this time?"

"Tall, dark and forehead?" Buffy frowned.

"Hey, I was ok with you two marrying and letting him knock you up. I never said anything about liking him."

Buffy sighed.

"He's being a jerk, lately." Buffy said. "And boy, have I had it with jerks."

"Talk to me." Dawn said. "I've got all the time in the world."

----------------------------

"Has it really been five years?" Buffy asked. Dawn nodded over a mouthful of the hamburger she was having. Sitting in one of the countless tables in the Council's cafeteria, Buffy stared at her younger sister again. For five years she had only talked to her, and had not seen how the awkward young adult had turned into the beautiful and secure woman. Buffy was short, that much she knew, but Dawn stood at least 5 feet and 8 inches tall. Her hair was as long as she'd worn it back in Sunnydale, and was held back in a ponytail. Her blue eyes shone bright, in contrast to her long lashes and tanned skin, completing the stunning image Dawn Summers turned out to be.

"Yup." Dawn finally answered, swallowing the remaining chunk of meat. "Rome is great. I see why you had a hard time leaving it."

"Had a family to raise." Buffy answered. "And a job to do."

"Glad you go rid of that annoying Immortal." Dawn said.

"Don't like stalkers." Buffy replied, when something inside her head clicked. "Wait, weren't you supposed to be in Greece?"

"You'll have to ask Connor about that one." Dawn said.

"Huh?"

"I know I asked you to leave me alone, back then." Dawn continued. "But out of courtesy? You could have called and let me know about the latest apocalypse."

"Sorry." Buffy blushed. "I was trying to respect your wishes."

"'S all right." Dawn said. "Connor called and told me. He caught me with my jeans down, figuratively speaking, of course."

"Of course." Buffy chuckled. "We're in some sort of trouble, that much I know. We don't know everything. I'll have to talk to him about bringing you here."

Dawn nodded. Something in the back of her head told her she should confide her sister about the things Connor said, but she decided to wait a bit more, to see what would happen.

-----------------------------

'You lied to us.'

Cordelia stood, her arms crossed. Next to her, Anya and Tara mirrored her posture.

'You said there was no real danger. That our friends were safe.'

Their leader remained silent. There was no attempt to communicate and nothing in her face revealed what she was thinking.

'Don't shut us out.' Tara said, keeping her cool. 'Tell us if there is something we can do.'

'You already did what was asked of us.' The leader said. 'All of us did.'

'All of us?' The three angels asked.

'It's all part of a bigger design.' The leader replied. 'We were asked to warn them. We did. They now know what is coming. What they do will decide the outcome of the battle.'

The leader waved her arm and a circle appeared in front of them all. Images began to unfold within the circle.

'As you know, the Powers have already gathered her players.' Images of the Scooby Gang and AI appeared. 'The Senior Partners have also gathered theirs.'

The image changed and the angels cringed.

'This army still needs a leader. A name came up and that position has been taken.'

'Why weren't we told about this?' Cordelia asked. 'This is very important info.'

'It's all about timing and choices.' The leader continued. 'Choices in the past caused this. New choices could stop this. There is one last thing we can do.'

The angels looked at each other.

'Tell us what to do.'

'Nothing.' The leader said. 'This is something I have to do on my own.'

-----------------------

The War Center came to life as soon as the members of the inner circle of power sat in their respective chairs. The seats recognized their user and soon all personal settings were refreshed on the system. The only battle station slightly different to the others was Xander's, since his lack of sight did not allow him to use the screen, his keyboard was set in Braille and headphones relied all info.

The meeting was set to organize the procedures to follow, since the time period given by higher beings was about to end.

"Wesley's already on his way to the US." Willow began the meeting. "Illyria is with him. They should find Kennedy and bring her back in thirty-six hours tops."

"No teleport action?" Buffy asked.

"They thought it would be best to talk to her over there." Willow answered. "Given Kennedy's rebellious streak, she may react violently. We can't have a pack leader fight inside the Council. Her slayers may forget where their loyalties lie and try to help her."

"Right." Buffy sighed.

"As you all know." Giles took over. "Angel has disappeared. We know where he is, thanks to the Locator Screen, but he's not answering our calls. We can't have him unsupervised, given the present situation."

Willow timidly looked at Buffy, and was genuinely surprised when her friend didn't seem to be disturbed at all.

"Right now those are our main worries." Giles continued. "All slayers around the world have been warned and we are now waiting for the first signs. Our research is yet to show any signs of impending doom, so I guess we're a bit ahead this time."

"Connor left this morning." Buffy said. "He wants to find his father."

"Was he alone?" Giles asked.

"He took Annie and Dawn with him." Buffy replied. "He thought maybe Annie could get some sense into her father's head."

'Even though I doubt that is humanly possible.' Buffy thought.

Her mood was immediately picked up by her friends, and all realized the marriage between the once souled vampire and the once lone slayer had come to an end.

-----------------------------

Hours later, Buffy went home to rest after a stressful day. Her mind had stopped running wild and only felt tired. She didn't know what she felt for Angel anymore, but she realized she preferred to be home alone than being fighting all day.

'Just like mom and dad.' She thought.

She walked into her room and plopped on the bed, exhausted and not wanting to think anymore. However, her mind had plans of her own.

'There's no one to talk about.' She thought. 'I guess that's why Connor disappears so much.'

Buffy tried to steer her thoughts away, but her mind returned once again to the moment when Annie had been kidnapped, seven years ago.

She really didn't want to think about that, having been one of the lowest points in her life. She shook her head and got ready to take a bath.

Once again, the hairs in the back of her neck stood and she felt electricity in the air.

'Great.' She thought. 'Cordelia and more bad news.'

She sighed and leaned back in her bed, waiting for the angel to appear.

When the higher being finally materialized, Buffy rubbed her eyes, not believing what she was seeing.

"Is it…?" She spurted out. The angel smiled and nodded. She had wanted to be the one to tell Buffy about what was to come.

"Are you…?"

The angel nodded again and a smile appeared on her face.

"Yes, honey, it's me."

Joyce Summers shone as her daughter ran and embraced her.

End of Chapter.


	13. Standing On Higher Ground

**Chapter 12**

**Standing On Higher Ground**

**A/N:** Chapter twelve of the series.

**Disclaimer:** You all know this belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in getting the shows on the air.

**Feedback:** As you wish.

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"I don't have much time."

Joyce took Buffy by the shoulders and softly pushed her and held her at arms' length. Buffy looked at her mother's eyes, confused.

"There are things you have to know." Joyce said. "There is more to what Cordy and the girls told you."

"Typical." Buffy said, chuckling and wiping some tears from her eyes. "What is it?"

Joyce led her back to the bed and both sat down.

"The girls told you about Balance, right?" She asked. Buffy nodded. "As you may have already guessed, that's not all. We received more info and we couldn't tell you all of it."

"Figures. Why?"

"It's hard for me to tell you, but war is imminent."

Buffy smiled. "You angels kinda made that clear."

"You're not getting it." Joyce clarified. "Both the Powers That Be and the Senior Partners agreed that war is what they both wanted."

"Why?"

"To recover Balance."

"Enough with balance, they were hoping to catch us unprepared?"

"Exactly." Joyce replied. "You are not supposed to be able to fight back."

"What?" Buffy said, standing up. "And you're helping them?"

Joyce sighed.

"There is nothing I can do." Joyce said, standing up as well. "But I can tell you other things."

Buffy crossed her arms and remained silent for a long time.

"I don't have that much time, dear." Joyce said. "No one knows I'm here. I'm acting without the knowledge of the Powers and that means I'm acting without permission. I'm here to tell you why this is happening."

Buffy did not answer, only nodded her head.

"I'm sorry about what you're going to hear." Joyce said. "But I thought it'd be better if you heard it from me."

Joyce held Buffy's face with her hands and looked deeply into her eyes.

"It is because of you that Balance is broken."

Buffy rolled her eyes and smirked.

"Already heard that one, mom." Buffy said. "The First Evil kept yammering about it."

"Nothing like that, dear." Joyce continued. "You were supposed to stay dead."

"Right." Buffy sarcastically said. "That's why the lousy First was allowed into this reality. To end the line of slayers and wipe us out of existence. Heard that one before. Fought that war. Won that war."

Joyce shook her head.

"Wrong again, honey." Joyce said. "You won, yes, but Balance was already faltering. Your victory sent it over the edge."

Buffy laughed.

"I can't believe this." She said. "What was I supposed to do, then? Lie on my back and let the First kill all of us?"

Joyce didn't answer and avoided her daughter's eyes.

"Great. That's just great." Buffy said. "Are you telling me I wasn't supposed to win?"

Joyce ran her hand through Buffy's hair.

"Listen to me, dear, please." Joyce replied. "Slayers are not supposed to have any help. It's all part of Balance. Slayers are given powers that are not human and demonic in nature."

Buffy cringed, remembering how she'd learnt that lesson and what the shamans had tried to do to her.

"That power and responsibilities are yours and yours alone." Joyce continued. "I thank God for those friends of yours, but their interference began to disrupt Balance."

"How?" Buffy asked, a bit too forceful.

"Slayers were meant to fight alone." Joyce repeated. "You broke every rule. Even Whistler had his share of fault, asking Angel to help you."

"I'm not following." Buffy said. "Are you telling me it was my fault Balance is broken?"

"Let me explain." Joyce continued. "Please let me tell you everything and then you get to ask me everything you want, ok?"

Buffy nodded.

"Slayers were meant to help humans and keep them safe from vampires and demons." Joyce began. "They are meant to be a human fighter with the powers of a demon. As a slayer, you get powers but no weaknesses and evil inherent to a demon. You had everything to do your job on your own. Then came your friends, making you the first slayer to ever have any kind of help besides the advice given by a watcher. That began the change. I have to tell you, dear, you were supposed to stay dead the first time. When Xander brought you back, it disturbed everything, for a second slayer was called and then earth had two slayers in it. Balance had to be restored; Kendra died so there would be only one slayer."

Joyce took deep breaths. She knew the worst part was still to come.

"When she died, Faith was called and given the powers of the slayer, and once again, there were two slayers alive, when only one was supposed to exist. Balance was once again disturbed, but held together when Faith lost her way. It was all right again, because there was one slayer fighting for humanity and the other one was kept in control. In a coma or in jail, it didn't matter; Faith was no longer an issue. Then you died a second time."

Joyce took another Dep. breath. Even though she didn't need to physically do so, she found it soothing.

"All was fine. Earth had one slayer and Balance was restored again. But your friends, those who loved you so much, brought you back. Balance was practically shattered at this point, and you saw a physical manifestation of it when a demon attacked you the very night you were brought back. Giles had it wrong, honey; the demon wasn't part of an exchange or anything of the sorts. It was sent to bring you back to the netherworld, where you belonged. As it failed, it opened the window of chance the First Evil needed. You know what happened next."

Buffy looked away.

"It was all so very complicated already, but it got worse." Joyce continued. "Because of Spike."

Buffy cringed and her eyes once again were fixed to her mother's.

"Spike was supposed to play a large part in the war." Joyce said. "But his heart and desperation won. He wasn't supposed to die there and in such a way. He died giving you a gift he thought you deserved. He changed the course of history."

"How?" Buffy asked, her voice soft.

"Angel was never meant to become human." Joyce revealed. "Things were written and meant for the vampire with a soul. Because of Spike's actions, there was no vampire with a soul to begin with. Balance was completely out of shape. Later on, the first war erupted."

"First war?"

"Your battle with the First." Joyce replied. "That war meant the destruction of Balance. Two slayers entered the fight, and because of your decisions, Balance was broken beyond repair."

Joyce paused, unsure of how to say her next words.

"You caused Balance's destruction." Joyce said. "Because you chose to share the power of the Slayer with all potentials. That single act shattered all equilibrium in this dimension."

"What?"

"There is only one slayer in each generation, honey." Joyce said. "One. Balance couldn't continue to exist with all those slayers alive. The source of that power was confused and Balance didn't know which way to bend. It all got even worst when Angel destroyed the Circle of the Black Thorn. The second war was supposed then to return Balance to its shape, but you won and exiled the Senior partners out of this plane. Every semblance of equilibrium disappeared."

"But all I wanted to do…"

"I'm sorry, Buffy, I'm so very sorry." Joyce said. "You weren't supposed to survive the first war, or the second. You were supposed to stay dead the first time. Not the second, but the first time. Your very existence and that of all the slayers is destroying this dimension."

Buffy was shocked beyond words. She couldn't understand how her choices had created so much trouble.

"There must be something I can do." She whispered.

"There is." Joyce said, a sad smile on her face. "I don't know how to tell you this, but…"

"Tell me." Buffy whispered.

"You can stop a senseless war, dear." Joyce said. "You'll have to make the same choice you did back in Sunnydale. This time, instead of sharing your power, you'll have to take it all back. Take it away from all the other girls who are not supposed to be slayers. Become the slayer again. The one and only. One girl in every generation."

Buffy's face revealed the shock she felt. She couldn't believe what she had just heard.

"You're telling me the only way to avoid war is to take their power away?" Buffy asked. "To rob them of their power? To take away from them something that is rightfully theirs? To rob this world of people who fight fir peace? That's what you're asking me to do?"

Joyce felt the anger rolling of her daughter like waves. She knew the conversation would go in such a way.

"Yes." Joyce answered. "That's what I'm asking you to do. You don't understand, Buffy. You simply don't understand."

"I don't care." Buffy replied. "We will fight this and we will win. We'll find a way to restore Balance."

"There is no other way." Joyce said. "I have seen the army you are about to fight."

"Bring it on." Buffy said, lifting her arms on the air. "We've fought other armies before. We've won before, because of those slayers. I can't take that away from them. I just can't."

Joyce sighed.

"I knew you wouldn't want to." Joyce said. "Let me show you something." Joyce slowly placed her hand on top of Buffy's eyes, who couldn't help but feel the warmth and softness of her mother's skin. Buffy took a deep breath, enjoying the physical contact and relaxed, knowing what was about to happen. She felt her pupils dilate and a bright light shone in front of her. When she opened her eyes, she was standing in the middle of an enormous dark cave. She looked around and noticed she couldn't see where the cave began or where it ended.

"This is camp base for the Senior Partners." Joyce said, appearing next to Buffy. The slayer crossed her arms.

"I see no army." She defiantly said. "I can't believe you agreed to do this. I never believed my own mother would ask me this, I…"

"Hush." Joyce said. "Look behind."

Buffy sighed but did as instructed. She turned around and froze; a cold shiver running through her back. She stared at one end of the cave, where thousands of demons marched, each wearing rudimentary armor and weapons. Behind the demons, thousands of Turok Han's growled and walked, probably those who survived the Sunnydale episode. Above them, dozens of fire breathing dragons flew in circles.

"Nothing we haven't fought before." Buffy lied, remembering the Hyperion and realizing they could never beat such an overwhelming amount of monsters.

"Oh, Buffy." Joyce said, caressing her daughter's face. "I know you have never fought this kind of army." Joyce again looked at the thousands of demons marching.

"That army?" She said. "Is merely the first wave of attack."

"What?"

"This is their first battalion." Joyce continued. "There are thirty other battalions, like this one, waiting for their orders."

Buffy's face went white.

"But that means…"

"Yes." Joyce interrupted. "That would make them millions. That's why I offer you a way out. Ask Willow to undo what she did in Sunnydale."

"Are you sure it would work?"

"Pretty much." Joyce answered. "It's worth a shot, isn't it?"

"And what if it doesn't work?" Buffy asked, looking at the army marching in front of her. "What if all I do is take away the only defense this earth has against this army, and render them powerless? What would happen then? All earth would be helpless and the Senior Partners would take hold again in this dimension."

"You said it yourself, mom." Buffy said, staring at her mother's eyes. "They want war. Well, they'll get their war."

Joyce sighed. Light erupted from her again, causing Buffy to shield her eyes. When she opened her eyes, they were again in Buffy's house.

"I must leave now, dear." Joyce said. "I knew it was a long shot, so now I can only ask you to be very careful." She took Buffy into her arms and hugged her. "I can't tell you how to fight this war, but please, take care of yourself, your sister, and that beautiful granddaughter of mine."

Buffy smiled, tightening her grip on her mother.

"Have you seen her?" Buffy asked.

"Yes." Joyce answered. "Such a lovely child. Just like you were."

"Thanks." Buffy said. Joyce let her go and smiled.

"There is one last thing you need to know." Joyce said. "The army I showed you needed a leader, so the Senior Partners sought someone strong enough to take on a slayer, and they found the perfect candidate."

A sense of dread washed over Buffy and her stomach turned.

"They recruited a powerful vampire to lead their army." Joyce continued. "One who has already killed slayers in the past."

Buffy felt her stomach heave and her mind turned upside down, as she prayed her mother wouldn't say the name she thought about.

The name her mother said wasn't the one Buffy had expected to hear, but it still left her fearing the moment she'd go against the army's leader, a name that spoke of madness and power.

A most formidable foe.

Drusilla.

End of Chapter.


	14. Choice and Consequences

**Chapter 13**

**Choice and Consequences**

**A/N:** Chapter thirteen of the series. Last one was a long chapter, lots of info. To those actually reading this, what did you think about it? Let me know.

**Disclaimer:** Once again, all belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows. Original characters are mine.

**Feedback:** Sure, as you wish.

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Buffy Summers walked slowly into Giles' office, her steps unsure and cautious. She didn't know what to think, having spent the night awake going over the info relayed. Her own dead mother had shown up the night before and had asked the unthinkable.

Her own dead mother had asked her to take what she had given in the past, for the greater goof.

She was asked to take a hero and give back a normal human.

'Sick of this.' She thought. 'I'm so sick of this.'

She still couldn't grasp the idea. She couldn't understand how the Powers could be so cavalier about playing with people's lives. What right did they have? Did they think they owned everything?

Giles heard her errant footsteps and frowned when he saw her stop and stand still in the middle of the office, not speaking a word.

"Something wrong, Buffy?" He asked. "It's awfully early, what could posses you to be here at this hour?"

Giles waited but there was no answer. Buffy remained silent and unmoving, not showing any sign or acknowledging Giles' words. The watcher stood up and walked towards her. He slowly placed his hand on her shoulder and sighed with relief as she turned to look at him. However, what he saw in her eyes did not calm him.

"Something wrong, dear?" He asked again. He saw the redness in her eyes and realized she'd been crying.

"Talk to me." He softly said. Had he known what she as about to answer, he'd never asked her to talk in the first place.

----------------------------

Buffy looked at Rupert Giles, head watcher of the Council, a wealthy and powerful man, sitting with his head in his hands.

She'd told him everything her mother had revealed to her earlier, and she saw the strong man slowly turn into an old, tired man. Slowly, he removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. Sighing, he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

"It hardly seems real." He said. "After all these years, I thought we had finally got it right."

Buffy kept staring at him, her heart aching for hearing him talk. She saw the man who had been a father for her and Dawn for the better part of their lives. She didn't want to see him like that. He was supposed to be her father. The strong figure to who she could go for advice and reassurance.

She knew she couldn't ask more of him. She had delivered devastating news, talked about impending doom and they realized they had small chances of surviving the upcoming war.

"Have you at least given it some thought?" He asked.

"Yes." Buffy softly said. "And it doesn't feel right. I can't tell a thousand slayers I'm about to take their power away."

Giles sat straight and stared at Buffy.

"Are you willing to tell them they could very well die because they're slayers?" He asked. "That their choices are to become human or die fighting?"

Buffy nodded.

"Remember the crucible?" She asked. Giles had the decency to look away.

"Of course I remember." He replied.

"For me it's the same thing." She continued. "I had bitched about how unfair my life was for being the slayer. I begged for a normal life, but the moment I found myself powerless, I missed it. I missed the thing that made me special. Knowing these girls; knowing these slayers I trained, they'll choose to fight rather than give it all away."

"Are you sure?" Giles asked.

"I'm certain." Buffy replied. "It's what I would do."

Giles sighed. He pressed the button on the intercom and spoke.

"Ms. Granger, please send for Ms. Rosenberg and my son. Have them come to my office as soon as possible."

---------------------

Willow and Xander sat still on the leather couch, not knowing what to say.

"You once had power above all, Will." Buffy said. "It made you do some things we don't want to remember, but you controlled it. You are now a powerful witch and have this awesome power at your disposal. Could you give it all away?"

She then turned and looked at Xander. Even if he couldn't stare back, she knew he was aware of her eyes on him.

"And you, Xander, could you let go of what Willow gave you?" She asked. "Could you go back to a world of complete darkness?"

Her best friends found no words to argue, and agreed with her plan of action.

Together, they tried to come up with several plans in order to ensure their survival. Even though they knew the odds were against them, they didn't have the pressure of a detailed deadline on their shoulders. They were still unsure of what would happen if they survived, but decided it was a bridge they'd cross once they reached it.

"If this army is as large as you described, shouldn't all slayers be with us?" Xander asked.

"Don't know where they'll strike." Buffy replied. "What if I gather all slayers here and they attack on Brazil?"

"What if they do strike here?" Willow asked. "How many slayers are inside the council?"

"About a hundred and fifty." Giles replied. "In all the UK, we could have four hundred slayers here in less than ten minutes."

"The magic of bullet trains." Xander joked.

"Not that." Willow chuckled. "Magic. They are near and it wouldn't take that much magic to bring them here."

"In a worst case scenario, how long would it take for all of the slayers and watchers to get here?" Giles asked.

"About four hours." Willow replied. "We have over a thousand slayers active, the same number of watchers with them. To have the three thousand slayers and watchers it would take an exact three hours, fifty seven minutes and about thirty seconds."

"You don't do half assed jobs, do you?" Xander joked.

They all laughed, and decided to wait for Connor to locate Angel and for Wesley to bring Kennedy back in order to plan ahead.

End of Chapter


	15. Dark Ages

**Chapter 14**

**Dark Ages**

**A/N:** Chapter fourteen of the series.

**Disclaimer:** Characters belong to Joss Whedon and the parties responsible for airing the show. Original characters are mine.

**Feedback:** Sure.

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Cleveland, USA

December 2017

Ten years had gone by since Wesley Wyndham Pryce had set foot on American soil.

He had never been to Cleveland in his life, so the place was as alien to him as it was to his companion. Illyria, on the other hand, seemed to have mimicked again the Fred persona in order to blend with all the humans crossing their paths. Together, they made a strange couple, the irony of which didn't escape him. Even if she'd been Fred, they would still look odd. He stared at his hands as he lit on a cigarette. They had not always looked ashen, or cold. That had been a new development caused by his unnatural and unholy return to the land of the living.

A failed attempt of rebuilding the Circle of the Black Thorn had been the cause of his Lazarus impersonation. Fortunately, or unfortunately for him, Angel had caught wind of the news but had been unable to stop his resurrection. As usual, something had gone wrong and it wasn't just the fact he'd been cremated and shipped off to his parents in Britain. His odd skin coloring had been one of the many additions to his resurrected persona. He was sure he didn't have a soul anymore, but aware of his co-workers unnatural obsession with souls, he felt safer about not making a deal about it. His nerves had gone MIA and he couldn't feel anything at all.

Not a thing.

Finally, something else had been brought back with him. A thing he didn't understand and didn't know what it was. More accurately, he didn't want to know what it was.

It whispered dark and obscene thoughts to him, urging him to do things he didn't want to do; making him dream things he found sick and revolting.

It had one advantage, after all, for the thing granted him strength akin to that of a vampire, and a certain degree of invulnerability, useful when Illyria grew tired of his antics.

"I am not amused."

The female voice broke Wesley's concentration and brought him back to reality.

"You spoke of violence. Where is it?"

Wesley took deep breaths and tasted the nicotine in his throat. He didn't even bother to answer.

'Damn you.' He thought. 'Damn you, you awful monster who looks like the only good thing that ever happened to me.'

Illyria sensed something strange in him, so she stopped and looked at him in the weird way she did.

"I sense something different in you." She spoke. "The thing is back?"

Wesley chuckled.

'Leave it to her to point the obvious.'

"I am the thing." He replied. "We have work to do. Stop talking and let's get this done."

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Dublin, Ireland

December 2017

Angel walked around the old streets of Dublin.

Having found no other place to go, he returned to a place he thought could give him answers. He'd grown tired of his own misery and discomfort and had tried to find something to cheer him up. He knew he'd ditched the Council in a dire moment, but Cordelia had been clear about it. There was no war coming up and he wasn't needed back there. He was just a lame watcher looking over lame slayers.

He remembered the slayers of the past, fierce warriors feared by the intelligent vampires. It was the stupid ones, like Spike, who actually sought slayers.

Angel kept walking, looking for something to give meaning to his life. The last time he'd felt so lost had been in the early 1900's, when he still missed being a deadly vampire and still wasn't used to the soul in him. He'd been confused, and he'd tried to lose the soul many times, but those damn gypsies had anchored the soul deep, the happiness clause a cruel trick. How could he achieve a moment of perfect happiness if he was miserable in every way? He couldn't kill because the soul burnt him, so he couldn't be a happy vampire, and he couldn't try to live like a man because he still needed to feed. He'd been thrown into a vicious circle that had almost left him a broken shell until Whistler had appeared. Buffy had been a lifeline, thrown at him when he'd reached rock bottom.

These days, he felt she'd turned into an anchor, dragging him down into her misery. She was nothing like the girl he'd fallen in love with. That girl had been sweet, a bit naïve and wanted a normal life. He'd seen in her the promise of future, a chance to redeem himself and have the peace he'd longed for years. But things had changed, and the sweet girl had turned into a hardened woman, and all hopes for normalcy disappeared when she embraced the slayer in her.

Couldn't she see how he hated that?

Couldn't she understand slayers weren't meant to have families or friends?

She couldn't have both, of that he was sure. Either she was a family woman or a killer, there was no in between.

How could she take care of a child if she was fighting for her life in a dark cemetery?

How could she take the mission seriously if she had friends and family to worry about?

It was insane; she'd taken the road less traveled but instead had turned his own road to hell. He didn't know when it had all fucked up, but he knew he wasn't happy anymore. He didn't like his life and he didn't like what he was becoming. He put his hands in his coat's pockets and found empty scotch bottles inside.

Angel sighed. When he'd been Liam, he'd been headed down a path that could only have ended in an alcoholic congestion or in syphilis induced madness. He chuckled, realizing he was heading down the same path, almost three hundred years later.

He felt disgusted with himself. He'd begun sleeping with other women behind Buffy's back, trying to fix his wounded ego. He'd once been her hero, her savior and her protector of all bad things. He'd been her friend when she needed one the most, and he'd been madly in love with her. As the years went by, he found himself in the sidelines, looking at a woman who asked nothing of anyone. She did things her way and fuck all those who didn't agree with her or didn't want to help. The clueless girl he'd loved had disappeared and in her place stood a tough as nails slayer who hit first and asked questions later.

He hated that.

He hated the feeling of not being needed. He hated the fact she didn't take into consideration his words or his advice.

He hated the fact he'd become the sidekick to his own wife.

Anger filled his being and he once again heard the sick, twisted laughter that appeared every time something angered him.

'Come on, Angel, old dog. Don't tell me you're feeling a bit left out?' The voice whispered. Angel cringed, knowing that voice all too well. He tried to shake it off, and knew the only way it would be silenced.

He spotted a bar and began walking towards it.

'You can't always shut me out with booze and whores, m'boy.' The voice sneered. 'I'm here, whether you want or not. You know sooner or later you're gonna ask for me help.'

Angel covered his ears with his hands and ran inside the bar, still hearing the infernal laughter inside his head.

End of Chapter


	16. Small Talk

**Chapter 15**

**Small Talk**

**A/N:** Chapter fifteen of the series.

**Disclaimer:** All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties responsible for airing the shows. Original characters are mine.

**Feedback:** Sure, whatever.

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Dublin, Ireland

December 2017

Connor walked out of the bar, shaking his head no.

Dawn and Annie sighed at the same time and fell into step with Connor.

"That father of yours is really hard to track." Dawn said, to which Annie merely shrugged.

"Not the first time he's done this." Connor said.

"Where to now?" Dawn asked. Connor remained silent and kept walking.

"Don't know." He finally answered. "I tracked his scent all the way here. Now there's plenty of alcohol clouding the track. I'm not sure where he's gone to."

"Great."

Annie chuckled. She wasn't sure how to feel about her father anymore. She'd seen him slowly turn from a loving husband and father into a cold, alcoholic bully. He'd been ignoring her for the past months and she found herself caring less and less about his disappearances. She still couldn't understand why he'd chosen such a time to vanish, knowing very well they were in danger. Walking slowly, Dawn placed her hand on Annie's shoulder, sensing something wrong in her niece.

"How about we look for a place to sleep?" She asked. "We've searched all night and the sun is already up."

"I'll keep looking for a while." Connor said. "You two find us a place to crash and let me know when you get there."

Dawn nodded, and Connor followed the fading scent.

Aunt and niece slowly walked away, with no route in sight and no idea where to search. Dawn seized the chance to talk to Annie.

"Something bothering you, kiddo?" She asked. Annie didn't answer right away, she kept walking, a muscle in her jaw twitching. Dawn noticed and respected her niece's silence. Minutes went by and Dawn was about to ask again when Annie sighed.

"Slightly confused, y'know." The girl said. "I've heard all my life how mum and dad were meant to be together. How dad was mum's first love and how destiny had taken them apart and then brought them together. How they loved each other more than life itself, and then, bam, dad begins acting like a jerk and begins drinking."

Dawn listened, hearing bitterness in Annie's words, remembering a time when her own parents had behaved just like that. She remembered feeling helpless and pain as she watched her parents slowly drift away.

"I don't even want to think about divorce." Annie continued. "But some of my friend's parents are divorced and they became friends, and even turned out to be better parents after the divorce."

Dawn nodded.

"And then I remember all my birthday parties, all the picnics and the fun we used to have." Annie said. "I try to find a breaking point. A single event which prompted all of this to go to hell, and I can't find a single bloody moment, except…"

Dawn looked at Annie, so young yet so strong, trying to show a tough face even when her young heart was in pain.

"I keep thinking about the time I was kidnapped." Annie said. "Do you remember?"

Dawn nodded. It had been about the time Annie was seven. An emergency had breached out of control and Angel and Buffy had been forced to leave her alone while they went away on a dangerous mission. By the time they had returned, only a ragged old doll mocked them, sitting on Annie's bed.

"I don't remember that much." Annie continued. "I merely remember what the lady looked like and the crazy stuff she kept saying. She talked all the time to those awful dolls as if they were alive, and she even thought they answered back."

Dawn cringed. She had met Drusilla before, and she hoped she'd never get to see her again.

"Point is," Annie sighed, "she didn't harm me. She didn't touch a single hair on my head, but by the time mum and dad came for me, I could see something different in him. Like something dark and ugly had been awakened in him and neither him nor mum liked it. I can only think about that time as the breaking point."

Dawn remained by her side, quietly remembering how ugly the fight had been. Things like that had forced her to remove herself from the equation, tired of all the hard things she'd seen and all the ugly scars they had. She'd asked Buffy to let her take Annie with her, away from the dangers having a slayer for a mother presented. She'd been unsuccessful, and hard words and past wounds were open. That was when she decided to move out of the country and break all contact.

"What happened wasn't your fault, y'know." Dawn said. "I know you know it, but I just wanted you to remember that."

Annie nodded.

"I've never been a fan of your dad." Dawn continued. "But he made your mother happy and I know he loves you very much. We can only hope he's having a mid life crisis and will soon be your dad again."

Annie smirked, and Dawn noticed how cold that expression could be.

---------------------

It had taken them about an hour to find a suitable place to crash for the night.

They called Connor and gave him directions about how to find the place and proceeded to have some breakfast. They'd walked all night and needed the rest and food to continue searching.

As they ordered some takeout and ate, spread out on the individual beds in the cheap motel room, the signs of a visit from the higher realm appeared. Dawn sighed, not wanting to be surprised by the cryptic news and surprises brought along by the angels. They merely stopped eating and made themselves comfortable. When the figure fully appeared, Dawn almost chocked.

"Mom?" Dawn asked.

Joyce smiled and spread her arms. Dawn immediately leapt out of the bed and ran to hug her mother. Some tears found their way down their cheeks, whereas Annie simply stood up and stared surprised. She'd seen pictures of her grandmother, but she never imagined she'd meet her.

"I thought I'd see you some day." Dawn said, looking at her mother's eyes. "But not here."

Joyce smiled and caressed her daughter's face. She looked over Dawn's shoulder and saw Annie.

"You must be my granddaughter." Joyce said. "Come give grandma a kiss."

Annie smiled and slowly walked towards the angel. She kissed her grandmother's cheek and embraced her tightly.

"Never thought I'd meet you." Annie said.

Joyce's smile slowly turned into a sad frown.

"I wish this could be all about joy and reunions." She said. "But as usual, I bear bad news."

"Wouldn't want it any other way." Dawn joked.

"You know what Cordy and the girls said." Joyce said. "But they didn't know what I know. I can tell you this, war is imminent."

Dawn and Annie shook their heads and sighed.

"You'll have to go back to the safety the Council provides." Joyce continued. "With or without Angel. You have to get back there quickly."

"Why?"

"The armies have gathered." Joyce replied. "Even if your side is not ready, the army of the Partners is already marching into action. They will attack soon. I don't know if that means hours or days, but you don't have much time."

"That's not what Buffy believes." Dawn said.

"Already talked to her." Joyce said. "You'll have enough time to rest and wait for Connor to return. You need to be on your best shape for this fight."

Joyce smiled and looked seriously into their eyes.

"Don't linger too long." She said. "Don't travel after dark. The leader of the Senior Partners' army is no other than Drusilla."

"Whoa!"

"That's not all." Joyce said. "I have to show you something, Dawnie. The reason you were brought into this in the first place." She placed her hand over Dawn's forehead. Both closed their eyes and Annie waited at their side, not knowing what was happening.

Moments went by and Dawn's eyes flew open.

"You can't be serious."

Joyce opened her eyes as well.

"I'm afraid so, dear." She said. "That's why you're here. You play an important part in this conflict."

End of Chapter


	17. Eye of the Tiger

**Chapter 16**

**Eye of the Tiger**

**A/N:** Chapter sixteen of the series.

**Disclaimer:** All belongs to Joss Whedon and those who publish the shows. Original characters are mine.

**Feedback:** Sure, whatever.

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Cleveland USA

December 2017

Kennedy had always been a spoiled brat.

She'd been taught to be a spoiled kid, as such; she'd grown to become a spoiled woman. The power of the slayer in her only increased her arrogance and cockiness, giving her the power she always wanted. She'd grown within the Council's ranks and had wormed her way to becoming a pack leader, assigned to the only hellmouth open in the world.

She was proud of herself and of her slayers. She'd been overconfident in their abilities and prowess when a failed raid instantly became a revealed secret.

Everything had been going according to plan. Agent Parker had been given a heads up and was on his way to secure the scene. Things went downhill when he didn't show up in time and her pack was caught in film fighting vampires and killing a Fyarl demon.

'On national television, no less!' She thought, and grinned as she imagined all sorts of trouble she'd get Parker for screwing up.

He had taken her and her slayers into custody and ordered them to report to the Council as soon as possible.

True to herself, she had dismissed his ideas and found it offensive that a simple watcher tried to boss her around. She'd sent her pack to London and ordered them to stay there until she came for them. Till that day, she'd stay behind and fight alone.

In the following days, she'd received numerous phone calls and endless e-mails ordering her to report back to the Council. She'd dismissed them all, knowing she'd be reprimanded for not waiting for their cover to arrive or her way of handling dangerous situations. Such things had already happened before, and it had meant the end of her relationship with Willow.

Kennedy never understood why someone with so much power could submit herself to the Council's rules. She felt the Council should be a tool for the slayers to use, and not the other way around.

She'd continue to ignore all attempts to contact her made by the Council. She would report back whenever she felt like it, or as soon as the hype about supergirls living in Cleveland cooled off.

Furthermore, she always felt more comfortable patrolling alone. She felt rookie slayers merely slowed her down and she never stood working under Faith's orders. She couldn't believe how Faith was the second in command, even after all her screw-ups.

Working on her own, she'd managed to kill more vampires than on a night with her pack. She kept smiling, knowing she was one of the best slayers ever.

Time went by, and she grew bored and decided to call it a night when she felt the distinctive tingling in the base of her skull, meaning a vampire was close. She'd been patrolling the cemetery for the past two hours and she was sure there were no more vampires.

'Probably a rising fledgling.' She thought, smiling and deciding a last kill would help her sleep better. She began hunting, following the tingling on her neck.

As she approached her prey, she felt something wasn't right. Usually she could tell whether her foe was new or an experienced vampire, but her senses were screaming something else entirely. She could only feel danger and the unexplained sensation felt when staring at a caged tiger's eyes. Kennedy shook her head, feeling stupid and angry for freaking out after fourteen years of being a slayer. She began closing on her prey, sensing how the vampire had not moved and was proving to be an easy target. She smiled, thinking about a fast can clean kill.

All thoughts vanished as she saw her target. Deciding she'd toy around with the vampire for a while, she launched a full frontal attack, thinking her pray would go down easy.

She had never been more wrong in her life.

----------------------------

Wesley could feel something had gone horribly wrong.

The thing inside had woken up and was growing impatient. Illyria's constant complaints and harsh words were beginning to annoy him. He shut out all the words coming out of her mouth and focused on the strange feeling the thing was broadcasting all through his body. He felt power, but that was expected, since the tracking spell had led them close to Kennedy, a constant source of power. But the thing, always threatened by the power of a slayer, was feeling some sort of familiarity with the strange source. Uncomfortable in the Council, the thing reacted differently to the powered individuals around him. It respected Illyria's power and constantly lusted for her, which wasn't a bad thing, considering the body she inhabited was the love of his life.

The power it felt now was ancient strength mixed with something dangerous. The thing didn't feel threatened, as much as it was following the power, like a beacon for darkness.

Wesley frowned; feeling eager to identify what could give off such power, confused and unaware if it was he or the thing feeling anxious. He took off running, guided only by instinct, trailed behind by a confused Illyria who ordered him to stop or be harmed in different and painful ways. Wesley ignored her and focused solely on finding what was making him twitch.

Suddenly, the power diminished and practically vanished, but it wasn't long until Wesley found why the thing had been so shaken up. He slowed his pace at the entrance of an old cemetery, but the thing was already whispering about what he'd find. Illyria soon caught up with him but remained silent as they walked inside the cemetery. They looked around for few minutes until they found what Wesley already knew they'd see.

Illyria slowly returned to her normal form, leaving behind the Fred impersonation and looked sideways at the spectacle displayed in front of her.

Tombstones had been shattered and a few trees had been torn apart in what seemed to have been a brutal fight. Wesley's eyes trailed down and sighed when they saw what the thing inside had described before.

"Call Giles." He softly said, turning to look at Illyria.

"Tell him we found her."

Illyria nodded, as Wesley slowly knelt down and stared at Kennedy's dead body.

End of Chapter


	18. Honor Her

Chapter 17 

**Honor Her**

**A/N:** Chapter seventeen of the series. I apologize if anyone liked Kennedy's character. I have never liked her and the way she was portrayed.

**Disclaimer:** All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows. Original characters are mine.

**Feedback:** Sure, whatever.

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The Watcher's Council

December 2017

Giles heard the news and his heart ached once more.

His eyes sought his children. The young teenagers who'd become his family. The three of them had anxious faces and could sense something was wrong. Buffy was the first to gasp and sat down quickly, her legs quivering beneath her.

"Kennedy." She whispered. "She's gone, right?"

Willow covered her mouth with her hands and instantly turned to Xander for comfort.

"Yes." Giles sighed, standing up from his chair and heading towards the War Center. "Did you feel it?"

"Just now." She replied.

Giles heard the sadness in Buffy's voice. He placed his hand on her shoulder and offered a sympathetic smile. He wanted to say something to ease their pain, but he'd learnt the hard way there were any words. There just weren't any words.

"This may be part of the Senior Partners' first strike." Buffy said. "This could be the sign we were all waiting for."

"Don't know about it." Giles replied, sitting at his battle station. "From what Wesley said, there were no demons around."

"What?"

Giles remained in silence, typing slowly. The Locator Screen changed and a list with the names of every slayer and watcher appeared. He scrolled down and stopped at Kennedy's name. With slow and almost monotonous moves, he changed the status from 'active' to 'deceased'.

"A vampire killed her." Giles finally spoke, standing up from his station. "Fortunately, it didn't drink from her or defiled her body."

He sat down in his chair again and asked Ms. Granger to locate Kennedy's parents.

-------------------------------------

Cleveland, USA

December 2017

"Rupert Giles asked us to stay in hiding until the magically empowered females can teleport us and the corpse back to London."

"The corpse had a name." Wesley replied, looking up at Illyria as she hung up. Still kneeling down in front of Kennedy's body. "Her name was Kennedy Joanna. Use it."

He once again stared at the body and felt the thing feeding off the pain and violence still in the air. He rubbed his eyes and ran his hands through his hair. He hated the way the thing made him feel every time he was around hostility and death. He spat, feeling his throat dry and sick satisfaction.

'Such contradictions.' He thought. 'I feel sorry for this dead slayer but am getting off on her death.'

"Did you listen?" Illyria asked, and for a moment her voice was so much like Fred's, to which he cringed. The thing leapt and cried for her. Wesley took deep breaths and stood up.

"I heard." He answered, softer than ever, feeling too tired to be rude to her. "Did you feel something odd? Before we found her?"

Illyria leaned her head and seemed to ponder the question for a moment.

"Yes." She replied. "Old power. Diluted, somehow."

Wesley nodded.

"I have something to ask of you." He said, looking at her eyes. She seemed surprised by the eye contact, missing entirely since the time she'd held him as he died.

"I won't go back with you." He said. A strange grimace crossed her face, but she quickly covered it.

"Why not?"

"There's something else I must do here." He answered.

Illyria nodded, unsure of why she understood.

"Very well." She seemed to want to tell something else, but she looked away, having brought down by harsh words too often.

"I will take care." Wesley said. "I'm not that hard to kill anymore."

She nodded and he reached behind, taking the knife he always carried with him. The exact same knife that had taken his life years ago, using it to cut the palm of his left hand.

"Why…?"

"My blood." Wesley said, as he let it drop around him. "It's not clean. It will interrupt the teleport spell."

"Couldn't you have called them and…?"

White light shone above them, as Wesley smirked.

"Not much time." He said. "And I'm sure they wouldn't understand."

Illyria nodded again, went to kneel before the slayer's body and picked her up. She looked one last time at Wesley before the light shone brighter and covered them completely. When the light disappeared, he found himself alone in the cemetery, his blood burning around him.

Wesley didn't like what he was about to do, but he didn't have any other choice. He let the thing take over, wanting it to guide him to the source of power he and Illyria had felt before.

---------------------------

London, England

The Watcher's Council

December 2017

Light erupted in the Council's Sub Level 4.

Illyria appeared in the middle of it, carrying Kennedy in her arms, her face solemn with respect.

Buffy took a step forward and looked at Illyria's eyes. She nodded, and handed the body of the fallen slayer to Buffy. The slayer looked at Kennedy's face, so peaceful. She noticed bruises in her face, unable to heal before her death. A large gash in her forehead meant the slayer had been unconscious at the moment of her demise, and Buffy thanked God for small favors.

Willow, Giles and Xander stood at her side, not knowing what to say.

"She needs to be cleaned." Buffy said. "I won't let anyone else see her like this."

Willow placed a hand on Buffy's shoulder.

"I'll help." She whispered. Buffy nodded and both walked away.

------------------------

Dublin, Ireland

December 2017

Dawn was about to go apeshit.

On the other end of the line, Ms. Granger was trying to explain the absence of Giles, Xander, Buffy and everyone else in there. Dawn took deep breaths and tried to cool down.

"I'm telling you I have life or death info, and I need to talk to Giles right this moment!"

"At the moment, Mr. Giles, his son, Ms. Rosenberg and Mrs. Summers are quite busy, please do leave a message and I'll make sure they'll…"

"What could be more important right now!"

"A slayer died." Ms. Granger replied. "I am telling you this because you have Alpha clearance, Ms. Summers, but I shouldn't have to."

"Oh." Dawn said, feeling a bit stupid for pressing matters. "I'm truly sorry, but I really must talk to any of them."

"Can't it wait a few minutes?" Ms. Granger continued. "As you know, there are certain ceremonies slayers follow almost religiously."

"I'm aware." Dawn replied, gritting her teeth. "But what I have to say could avoid more deaths, so please, forgive me for being rude and insensitive, but I need to talk to Buffy immediately."

Ms. Granger remained silent. She'd known all the members of the inner circle of power and she could recognize the urgency in Dawn Summers' tone.

"The coven has used plenty of magic." Ms. Granger said. "But I'll arrange your immediate transport back here."

"Make it twenty minutes ago, please." Dawn countered. "You have to tell them war has already begun."

"I beg your pardon?"

"From what I learnt and now a slayer dead, I can only assume the Senior Partners are about to attack." Dawn changed her tone. "We may be hours away from war."

"We'll have you here by the hour." Ms. Granger replied. "Are you alone, Ms. Summers?"

"Connor and Annie are with me." Dawn answered.

"Very well, stay where you are, in a few minutes you'll be teleported home."

Dawn said thanks and Ms. Granger hung the phone. In the thirteen years she'd worked with the Council she had never heard Dawn Summers so agitated.

---------------------------

Buffy looked around and saw very few slayers around.

All gathered in SL 4, the giant room was designed to function as a training field, a refuge or a place where slayers gathered. At the moment, it functioned as a giant chapel, where the slayers were together to pay their respects to a fallen sister.

In the middle of the vast room, a small shrine lay surrounded by candles, the only light in the room. The slayers were armed and had painted their faces as the First Slayer had.

In the shrine, Kennedy's body rested, cleaned up and dressed in a white gown. Her hands together held a stake firmly in them. A cross shaped necklace on her, meant to protect her in the afterlife.

All slayers stepped forward and kissed their sister's forehead and said goodbye. Every slayer in the Council paid their respects, until it was Buffy's turn.

She approached Kennedy and, as the other slayers before her, kissed her forehead.

"Farewell, sister." She softly said. "We mourn you, yet know we'll meet again someday."

She turned around and faced the other slayers.

"W lost one of our own today." She said, her voice booming throughout the room. "Another slayer will rise, to take her place among us."

She gave one last look at Kennedy and smiled.

"This slayer rests now." She continued. "We can only hope we'll rest one day like she does, and join her in the afterlife."

She raised a sword in the air and stared at her slayers.

"Kennedy Joanna Collins was a slayer!" She screamed. "Remember her and fight for her!"

All slayers screamed and raised their weapons in the air, a sign of respect for their fallen sister.

End of Chapter


	19. Old Power

**Chapter 18**

**Old Power**

**A/N:** Chapter eighteen of the series. Tried to give Kennedy some kind of respect. Hope you liked the previous chapters.

**Disclaimer:** Characters belong to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows. Original characters are mine.

**Feedback.:** Sure, as you wish.

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Buffy stepped out of the elevator in Level 6 and walked towards Giles' office, her head hung low.

Truth to be told, she never really liked Kennedy but she still grieved over the loss of a slayer. She'd also felt a bit of a hypocrite when kissing he forehead, thinking such an honor wasn't meant for her. As the longest living slayer, it was her duty to lead such ceremonies. Later in the day, they'd have another one, a far more private one. She guessed Giles would have already gotten in touch with Kennedy's parents, and they should be on their way to attend Kennedy's burial in the Pantheon.

"We need to talk."

Buffy looked up and saw Giles, walking towards her, his face still sad. They walked into his office and she frowned when he sat at the War Center instead of at his desk.

"What is it?" She asked, following and sitting at her own station.

"Ms. Granger just told me Dawn called." Giles said. "I'm trying to get in touch with her."

"Good or bad news?"

"From what Ms. Granger said, I presume they were bad."

"Great."

"Seems our problems are about to pile up."

"Meaning?"

"Ms. Granger said Dawn talked about war starting soon." Giles sighed. "We have the FBI up our arse trying to connect us to the Cleveland incident. Angel is missing. Kennedy died."

"Wait. War? Soon?"

"That's what Dawn said." Giles replied, looking at the Locator Screen. "As soon as the coven recharges, they'll be brought back. You may want to be ready in case anything happens tonight."

"Been a very, very long day." Buffy huffed. "Anyways, I'll do my best."

Buffy stood and waved as she left Giles' office.

"You always do." He whispered. "You always do."

--------------------------

Walking towards the elevators, Buffy took out her cell phone and dialed Annie's cell. After a few rings, her daughter answered.

"What's up, mum?"

"Hey kiddo, how are you?" Buffy kept talking as she stood in front of the elevators. "Found that errand father of yours?"

"Nope." Annie answered. "Didn't expect to."

"It's ok, dear." Buffy continued, waiting. "Say, is that annoying kid sister of mine there?"

"Yeah, wait up." The elevator arrived and Buffy stepped inside, and pressed the button marked '1'. As the cubicle began its ride down, Buffy heard Dawn's voice.

"Finally!" Dawn said. "I've been going crazy trying to find you."

"Kennedy died." Buffy replied.

"Yeah, I heard." Dawn said. She continued to speak but the signal on the phone began to fail.

"Dawn, can you hear me?" Buffy asked. She faintly heard a 'yeah' and something unintelligible. "Wait a minute, Dawnie, I'm in the elevator, let me get out." Buffy quickly pressed the button '2', hoping the elevator would stop as soon as possible, hearing her sister still yelling something.

He elevator's door swung open and Buffy quickly stepped out of it.

"What did you say?"

What Dawn answered made Buffy's blood run cold.

---------------------------

Cleveland, USA

December 2017

Wesley still wandered the cemetery.

He'd taken a closer look at the battle site and he'd seen things he knew Illyria had paid no attention to. He'd seen Kennedy's face, where a bruise the size of a fist lingered. It wasn't big enough to have been made by a demon, so he figured it must have been a vampire.

Such deductions and the kind of power he'd felt assured him it had been an old and powerful vampire.

The thing twitched again, leading him in another direction. He looked at his watch and figured he still hade some time before dawn, meaning no innocent bystanders would wander the cemetery.

Wesley doubted the vampire had attacked without knowing Kennedy was a slayer. Vampires felt their natural enemy as well as a slayer did. That meant the attacker was experienced and had managed to best a slayer in combat.

More so, there were no bite marks on the slayer's neck. The vampire had knocked her unconscious, hence the gash on Kennedy's forehead, and had broken her neck.

He pictured the battle in his mind and the thing twitched with excitement. He tried to restrain it, but after months of holding back he felt too tired to resist.

Wesley howled, feeling revolted and yet joyous, as he wondered what he'd done to deserve such fate.

---------------------------------

As his mind stepped aside, allowing the thing to take over, he remembered his death, thirteen years ago. He clearly recalled the knife puncturing his stomach, tearing skin, muscle and nerves aside. Even more than the pain, he remembered Illyria's cold touch as she pretended to be Fred.

A sweet lie, but a lie nonetheless.

So he died, knowing hell awaited him. He didn't want to remember what he'd seen and what had happened while he'd been dead, but he was certain he'd attracted the bad kind of attention. Five years after his death, he'd been brought back in an attempt to recreate the Circle of the Black Thorn.

The previous members had seen something in him, his slow descent into darkness and they chose him as the perfect pawn in their vengeance against Angel.

Who better than a man who knew the enemy?

Who better than a man essential in their previous downfall?

He still remembered the first thing he saw when brought back. He'd woken up and had seen a white angel, looking down at him, and he felt his skin burn. He had looked down at his hands, and seen the color they now had. He couldn't understand what had happened or where he was. He only felt the grass burning his naked skin and the angel making him feel dirty and obscene.

He'd seen the white columns around the angel and saw the names engraved in them.

Doyle

Charles Gunn

Winifred Burkle

Wesley Wyndam-Pryce

He'd read the name and recognized it as his own, and he'd remembered he was dead. Dead and gone.

He remembered the darkness and not being able to think straight, feeling the need to kill and destroy. He'd felt panic, thinking he'd returned as a vampire. He later would realize there were no fangs and no bloodlust.

Blinding light had covered him and he would remember nothing more. He didn't know what had happened until he opened his eyes one day and saw the same face to hold him as he died. Yet, they were blue, as well as the hair. Last time, they'd been hazel and the hair had been dark. He saw no love in them, but unending anger.

He'd tried to speak, but Illyria had her hands firmly locked around his neck, not allowing any air to escape to form words. He'd heard Willow's words and Illyria had let him go. As he fell down, he noticed his former friends lying around and looking at him as though he was the enemy.

He soon realized he was indeed the enemy. Angel was unconscious a few feet away, bleeding. Willow sported a black eye, Xander had a knife embedded in his shoulder and Buffy had an ugly cut beneath her left eye.

Illyria had taken him by the lapels of his jacket and had picked him up as a rag doll.

"Who are you?" She'd asked. Wesley had stared at her, unsure of what to answer.

"Who are you!" She'd asked again.

"I don't know." He answered. It had been the truth. He didn't know what he was anymore.

------------------------

As time went by, he'd begun to piece together the events and discovered something had returned with him. A gift from the Circle, needed in order to accomplish his mission. Willow had been kind enough to offer her assistance in figuring out what the thing was, since he discovered he had no heartbeat, didn't breathe and had other superhuman abilities.

He'd politely turned her down, wanting nothing but to forget what was happening. Giles had offered his job as a watcher back, but Wesley didn't feel comfortable because of what he'd done while under the control of the Circle. He took off, only to be joined later by Illyria.

He still couldn't understand why she'd come to him, but he suspected it was because either the Council figured she'd control him or he would keep her under control.

Wesley didn't care anymore, and truth to be told, he liked having her around.

He once again willed himself to take control over his body as he picked the sensations of power again, closer. He homed on it and was quite certain he'd felt such power before, when he'd been dead.

He found himself standing in a clear within the cemetery. There were no trees nearby and no tombstones or graves. He allowed the thing to rise, needing the strength it provided.

A shadow walked slowly towards him, and Wesley gripped the knife behind his back. The figure soon walked into the clear, and the moonlight revealed what Wesley suspected.

He stared, his face showing no emotion.

"I knew I'd felt that power before." He said.

"Welcome back, Spike."

End of Chapter


	20. The Slayer of Slayers

**Chapter 19**

**The Slayer of Slayers**

**A/N:** Chapter nineteen of the series. It was obvious Spike would return, but what will he do? Will he be the same?

**Disclaimer:** All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows. Original characters are mine.

**Feedback:** Sure, as you wish.

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London, England

The Watcher's Council

December 2017

"Tell me you're kidding."

Buffy had almost fainted when she heard the word Dawn spoke. She took deep breaths and tried to stop her head from spinning. She sat on the floor and ignored the weird looks she received.

"No joke. You still there?"

"Still here, Dawn." She replied, hearing a sigh on the other end.

"Thought you'd faint."

"Nearly did." Buffy said. "Are you completely sure of what you're telling me?"

"If I wasn't I wouldn't be saying it." Dawn answered. "Mom showed me Spike, and said he'd be in this war."

Buffy heard the words again and her heart jumped once more. She had to cool down and think about the matters at hand.

"Did she say…?" Her voice cracked and she cleared her throat. "Did she say whose side he'd fight for?"

"Sorry, no." Dawn said. "But it may explain why Connor brought me in."

"Connor what with who?"

"There's no time for that." Dawn continued. "Giles said he'd have us there soon."

"No longer than twenty minutes, but…"

"No time for this, Buff." Dawn interrupted. "We'll talk as soon as I get there."

"Right." Buffy said. "Stand still and let us take care of it."

"Ok." Dawn huffed. "We can't sit tight all day. Mom told us not to travel at night."

"Don't worry." Buffy replied. "You'll be here in no time."

Buffy turned off her cell after saying goodbye and hugged her knees. Still sitting on the floor, she thought about what her sister had just said.

Spike.

She never thought she'd see him again, or hear from him again. She talked about him once in a while with Dawn, but she never imagined she'd meet him again in war.

She hid her face in her hands, as another thought assaulted her mind. More than a thought, it was a revelation, regarding the events of the past hours.

A slayer had fallen and suddenly her sister warned her about Spike.

She felt a tear run down her face, her mind not wanting to accept the truth.

The slayer of slayers had returned.

---------------------------------

Cleveland, USA

December 2017

Wesley frowned when Spike did not answer.

The ex watcher remembered the vampire liked to talk, even when no one was paying attention to him. The vampire in front of him had not even made eye contact with him, and Wesley was sure the thing could be felt by Spike. Circling around, he inspected the vampire upside down. There seemed to be no difference in him, at least none visible.

Buffy and Angel never talked about Spike, but Wesley remembered the time he'd assisted the soulless vampire in hiding the souled one. He knew the vampire had been killed, much like him, and yet there he stood.

He saw the vampire again, and noticed only one small difference, another scar on the vampire's face. The other one, on Spike's left eyebrow was legendary, been made by a slayer's holy weapon. The new scar ran through Spike's right eye, from above his eyebrow and ended halfway through his cheekbone. Asides from that, there was nothing different in the vampire.

Except for the fact he still hadn't moved and had said not a word.

"Are you even here, Spike?" Wesley asked, thinking he might be facing nothing but an illusion. Hearing no answer, Wesley spoke again.

"Perhaps I was wrong." He said. "You could be simply walking around, which I find doubtful, since there is a dead slayer and here you stand."

Spike remained still, his eyes lost and his posture revealing nothing.

"I may be wrong, but I felt power before." Wesley continued. "Not rare in a vampire as old as you."

Wesley's steps brought him closer to Spike's unmoving form and stopped right in front of the vampire's face.

"But I know I'm not mistaken." Wesley said. "I have felt this power before, and you have felt me as well."

Spike's eyes slowly made contact with Wesley's, and something in them made him take a step back.

"The Styx River."

Wesley nodded.

"We were both in the same place." Wesley said. "Both dead."

"Somethin' not right with you, watcher." Spike said.

"This thing inside." Wesley replied. "A gift. Or a curse, for daring to cross the River back here."

"Thought it couldn't be done." Spike noted.

"Not without assistance." Wesley answered. "Yet here I stand. So do you."

"Paid a price for it." Spike said.

"So did I." Wesley laughed. "Didn't ask for it."

"Neither did I." Spike replied. "Yet here we stand."

"I could say it's funny" Wesley sarcastically said. "We met before, in Hell, and now we meet in this one."

"Indeed." Spike said. Silence appeared and no words were said for large, tense minutes. Wesley broke the silence first.

"You killed Kennedy. Care to tell me why?"

"Not really."

"An act of war?"

"No one said anything about war."

"You won't fight in it?"

"Didn't say anythin' about it, did I?"

Wesley stared into the vampire's eyes, looking for some answers.

"It starts today." He said, not asking.

"On the other side of this world, yes." The vampire replied.

Wesley realized the attack would be centered on the Council.

"A direct hit." Wesley stated. "No quarter given."

"None asked."

Silence stretched again.

"What will you do, watcher?" Spike asked.

"Don't know." Wesley honestly replied. "I'm not sure if fighting is the best choice of action."

"You could try."

"A wasted effort." Wesley said. "Useless."

Spike nodded.

"Be seein' you, then." The vampire said as he walked away from Wesley. As Spike's figure disappeared, Wesley felt again the old power he'd sensed before.

Wesley sighed and took out his cell and dialed home.

He'd have to warn them about Spike.

End of Chapter


	21. War

**Chapter 20**

**War**

**A/N:** Chapter twenty of the series.

**Disclaimer:** All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the show. Original characters are mine.

**Feedback:** Sure

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London, England

The Watcher's Council

December 2017

Giles looked at London through the window.

"Never thought this would happen." He said. "Not only are we fighting millions of demons, but it seems all odds are against us."

Buffy nodded, sitting at the leather couch near the window.

"If mom gave us a warning, that means Spike won't be on our side." She said. "I can't understand why the Senior Partners would need Drusilla if they had Spike."

"We're not sure about that." Giles said.

Buffy nodded and tried to hope. There was a small chance Spike could come to their aid, but she sincerely doubted he would. She saw Spike burn to death and turn to dust and crumble in front of her eyes. Dusted vampires did not go to heaven, like she did, but instead went the other way. She recalled the time when she'd sent Angel to hell, nineteen years ago, and he'd spent a hundred years in hell. He'd returned as a beast after a few months of real time. Fourteen years had gone by since Spike died, meaning he'd spent countless centuries in hell.

Buffy honestly doubted Spike could have retained any semblance of sanity.

"We may never know." She said.

"We must be prepared." Giles said. "We must foresee any eventuality regarding Spike in this conflict. If the Powers brought him back, then he'll be a strong ally on our side. If the Senior Partners brought him back, then…"

Giles' words brought memories to Buffy's mind. She remembered the first time they faced Spike and Angel's words rang on her ears.

"He won't stop." She said.

"Where did that come from?"

"That's what Angel said of him, the first time Spike appeared." Buffy replied. "We were never able to stop him."

"Of course you did." Giles countered. "He wasn't even a threat at the end."

"Because of the chip." She said. "I could never kill him."

"We mustn't have such thoughts." Giles said. "You've become stronger, Buffy. You and Faith are the strongest slayers alive. You wouldn't face him alone."

"No." She said. "Spike is mine. No one else fights him if he's against us."

"What about Drusilla?"

"Faith can take her." Buffy replied. "If this is going down, you should call all other slayers."

"Already sent a priority request." Giles said. "They are ready to be here in a moment's notice."

"Good. We're going to need all the help we need."

"Meaning?"

"Please, Giles. A slayer dies and Spike shows up?"

"Right."

"War has begun." Buffy said. "Whether we like it or not. How long do you think we have?"

"I don't know." Giles was about to say something else when his phone rang. He answered and his face turned ashen as he listened. He soon finished the conversation and remained silent for a few minutes.

"What?"

"That was Wesley." He answered. "He found Spike."

Buffy's stomach turned again.

"And?"

"He killed Kennedy." Giles said, dropping down on his chair.

"He killed her, Buffy. War has already started."

-------------------------

The coven soon gathered enough power to teleport Annie, Dawn and Connor back to the safety the Council provided.

Every member of the inner circle of power, minus Angel, sat inside Giles' office, to prepare themselves for any contingency before night fell. Sitting at the War Center, battle stations turned off, Giles begun speaking.

"We have been together in many battles." He said. "I've been lucky to have you all by my side in the wars we've already fought, and we've risen from them." Giles looked at every one of them.

"We have not always escaped unscathed." He admitted. "We have taken serious hits over time, but we have proven stronger every time. Those who first walked this path are still here today."

Giles took off his glasses and cleaned them up.

"All slayers worldwide are on red alert." He said. "As are all watchers, ready for battle."

He looked at Xander, who felt his father's sight on him and nodded.

"You must speak to your watchers." Giles said. "You are the head of security of the Council. You are their leader. They will need to hear from you."

Xander nodded once again. Giles then turned to look at Buffy and the newly arrived Faith.

"I know you two have never gotten along well." He said. "But you are the longest lived slayers in all history. The most powerful and strongest of them all. The slayers will follow you to battle wherever it happens to be. You are their generals."

Giles felt more tired than ever before, and his voice betrayed him.

"I don't know what we're fighting for." He admitted. "We have received contradictory information and I don't know who'll be with us and who'll be against us."

Giles turned on his station and typed a name on the keyboard. The Locator Screen disappeared and in its place a large image appeared.

"The vampire on screen is named Drusilla." He said. "You all know her."

Annie flinched as she stared at the image, remembering her own experience with the mad vampire.

"From what we've learnt," Giles continued, "she will lead an army of millions, composed of various demons, the now familiar Turok Hans and many other creatures."

He pushed another button and a drawing of a Turok Han appeared onscreen.

"We all have fought against these vampires before." He said. "But many slayers have not even seen one in real life. We rose triumphantly against them in Sunnydale because of an amulet provided by Wolfram & Hart, worn by Faith here."

Faith nodded, and raised her right hand.

"Still have the burn marks."

"Yes, well, thanks to that we survived and the Hellmouth was closed. Unfortunately, it seems various Turok Hans survived that war and are now under the command of Drusilla."

Giles placed on back his glasses and looked at Buffy.

"This leads us to the final and unexpected guest." He said, pressing another button. An image of Spike appeared onscreen. Several gasps and different expletives were uttered.

"Whoa." Faith said. "Robin's gonna freak."

"Robin?" Giles asked. "Oh, Robin Wood, is he still with you?"

"You betcha." Faith replied. "This is going to be quite a surprise for him."

"As you are aware, Spike murdered Nikki Wood in 1976 in New York City." Giles said, staring intently at the image on screen. "Nikki Wood was a slayer, mother of Robin Wood. The infamous coat he wore until his disappearance fourteen years ago was taken off her dead body."

"He is different." Wesley suddenly said.

"Care to explain?" Giles said. Wesley looked at the image as well.

"William the Bloody, a.k.a. William Pratt, a.k.a. Spike, the vampire sired in 1880 is gone." He said. "The vampire I faced hours ago had nothing to do with the old William the Bloody."

"He did disappear." Xander said. "God knows what he's been doing in this time."

"He was deceased." Wesley replied.

"Well, duh." Xander deadpanned.

"What he means is he died." Buffy said, looking at Dawn, who merely avoided her gaze. "Fourteen years ago."

"Are you certain of this?" Giles asked.

"I saw him turn to dust." Buffy replied, not looking at him.

"You never said anything about it." Willow said. "Even after we asked."

"Look, he died, no one cared enough about him." She shot back, and ignored the angry look Dawn sent her way. "He was just a vampire, right? A soulless, evil thing."

Everyone remained in silence, unsure of what to say.

"I can assure you, William the Bloody was dead." Wesley continued. "I met him, while I was dead."

"How could that happen?" Giles asked, suddenly very interested.

"All murderers go to the same hell." Wesley replied. No one dared to question him more.

"It seems some of us had been warned of his involvement." Wesley continued. "I encountered him after a slayer, Kennedy Collins, was missing in Cleveland. We found her dead."

More silence appeared.

"Spike confirmed the kill." Wesley said. "But he later made no attempt to strike Illyria or me down."

"That's not really assuring." Xander interrupted. "From personal experience, I can tell you Spike will attack whether he feels like it or not, if the situation allows it."

"Agreed." Wesley said. "But both Illyria and I could be a threat to him. He made no move to attack us, as if his intentions were different."

"Kill Kennedy." Buffy whispered.

"We also felt a different kind of power." Wesley said. "One I deemed unnecessary to fight against."

"What kind of power?" Buffy asked, her ears perking up at the mention of the word 'power'.

"Every vampire gives off a certain amount of power, because of the demon." Wesley said. "The older the vampire gets, the more powerful he turns. Spike's power was old, and great."

"What are you telling us?" Giles asked.

"I'm not saying I was threatened or frightened." Wesley clarified. "He still felt like a vampire, meaning he still possesses the same weaknesses a vampire has. I meant to tell you his power felt different. Older."

"Could be the years he spent in hell." Willow stated.

"It's quite likely." He replied. "We don't know how much time he spent there, but he grew stronger. His intentions were not clear, as if he was waiting for something else to happen."

"He may know the same things we know." Giles said. "From what we've been told, Balance would be restored if all slayers disappeared but one. We agreed we won't take their power away and we can't let them be killed, so we have to fight and win time."

"We all know what we have to do." Xander said. "We have to prepare the Council for battle."

"There is still time until nightfall." Giles said. "I don't know if first strike will happen tonight, but we should be ready."

Buffy and Faith looked at him.

"Talk to the slayers and get them ready for battle." He told them. "Ask them to rest and wake them up an hour before dusk."

All nodded and left the office.

Behind them, Giles shook his head, feeling a growing uneasiness in his stomach.

End of Chapter


	22. The Calm Before the Storm

**Chapter 21**

**The Calm Before The Storm**

**A/N:** Chapter twenty-one of the series.

**Disclaimer:** All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the show. Original characters are mine.

**Feedback:** Sure.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

London, England

The Watcher's Council

December 2017

Buffy, Faith and Xander were the first to leave Giles' office.

Walking towards the elevators, Xander moved ahead of them and Buffy used the opportunity to talk to Faith.

"Long time no see, Ms. Lehanne."

"God, will you ever quit that?" Faith chuckled.

"No. Seriously, Lehanne?"

"What? Like Summers is so exclusive and pretty."

Both slayers laughed and breathed easier for a moment.

"Can I ask you something?" Buffy asked, her tone serious.

"Sure." Faith shrugged.

"Why didn't you drag her along?" Buffy asked. "When you all were asked to leave Cleveland."

"Not that I want to be a jerk or anything, but tell me, how long could you stand that stuck up bitch?" Faith replied.

"That's no way to talk about a fallen slayer." Buffy said, cringing.

"Hey, I'm in no means trying to be disrespectful." Faith chuckled. "But really, I could barely put up with her."

Buffy listened to Faith, finding no malice in her words.

"She was difficult." Buffy softly said.

"Difficult?" Faith practically grunted. "I can't even begin to understand how Willow had a thing for her. She may have had a nice ass, but she had her head trapped in it most of the time."

Against her wishes, Buffy laughed out loud. She immediately blushed and covered her mouth with her hands.

"Let's show some respect, Faith, please."

"Come on, B, relax." Faith replied, her face straight. "There is nothing we can do for her. I am telling the truth, whatsoever. A bit of dark humor won't hurt."

Buffy sighed, as both of them walked inside the waiting elevator.

--------------------

Wesley stood still as everyone was leaving the room.

He stared at Connor, who'd lingered behind and was talking to Annie and Dawn. He remembered Connor had asked him to teleport Dawn Summers into the Council, without bothering to tell him why. Wesley had agreed, for he still felt guilty of everything that had happened in Connor's life, but he felt now he'd been played.

As everyone left the room, he stood in front of Connor, blocking the exit. He saw how Connor's eyes darted around nervously.

"We need to talk." Wesley said. Connor looked at Annie and Dawn before answering.

"What about?"

Wesley narrowed his eyes.

"Don't play with me." He said.

Connor hesitated, knowing very well what Wesley was asking.

"I received a heads up." He finally answered.

"War is about to break out." Wesley said. "Is there anything else you're not telling me?"

Connor seemed to be doubting, but he finally gave in.

"My mother." He said. "She asked me to bring Dawn into this."

"Why would your mother ask that?" Wesley asked.

"Rather obvious, isn't it?" Dawn said, coming into the conversation. "Nowhere is safe now."

"You lived in Rome, Dawn." Wesley said. "War wouldn't have reached you for a day or two, plenty of time to get somewhere safe. All of a sudden, you're right in the middle of this, at the precise moment Spike showed up."

Dawn narrowed her eyes.

"What are you trying to say?" She asked.

Wesley stared deeply into her eyes.

"I believe you may be our secret weapon."

-----------------------------------

As the day went by, slayers and watchers in the UK were inside the Council, paired up together.

The Council's employees were given the afternoon off, as Xander and the watchers closed off all communications and prepared the building for war. The rest of the members of the inner circle of power decided to relax and unwind for a couple hours. Giles, true to himself, stayed behind, researching and organizing things with his son. Willow remained there as well, felling a few hours of research could relax her more than an entire afternoon of doing nothing.

Faith left the building to search for Robin, who'd been wandering the streets around.

Wesley and Illyria had disappeared, as they usually did, within the bowels of the Council. Connor had walked into his father's office and had asked to be left alone.

Buffy, Dawn and Annie had left for home, trying to relax after intense days. Sitting at the kitchen and about to have dinner, the Summers women recalled past experiences.

"Can't remember the last time this happened." Dawn said.

"This awful? Fourteen years ago." Buffy said, playing with the mac & cheese in her plate. "The age of this one, here."

Buffy ruffled Annie's hair, who was more interested in her macaroni than her mother.

"I was so worried, that night." Buffy continued. "I even slept alone in the cot in the basement. Didn't want anyone to see how frightened I was. I had this huge belly and I didn't have the slightest idea of what to do."

She ran her hand through Annie's hair.

"I was so afraid they would hurt her." She said. "I even stopped caring about the other slayers. I just wanted to get out of there alive and my child unharmed."

"It didn't help her father was in L.A., right?" Dawn said.

"I've told you a thousand times I sent him back there." Buffy said, smirking. "Asked him to build a second front."

"And he was quick to obey." Dawn huffed. "His pregnant girlfriend was about to literally walk into hell and fight a thousand demons, and he just nods his head and walks away. Really great."

Buffy shot her sister a warning look. She knew Dawn wasn't lying, but Annie didn't need to listen about her father's past mistakes.

"So dad has a habit of bailin' out on those who need him the most?" Annie asked, her eyes never leaving her plate. "What a wanker."

Buffy sighed and practically murdered her sister with her eyes.

"I asked him to put up a second front, dear." Buffy said. "Much like today, I had my army assembled and your father had his own battle to fight."

"Whatever." Annie said, looking up to meet her mother's eyes. "You ask me? If my unborn child and her mother are about to fight prehistoric vampires, I'd be with them. Bloody irresponsible."

"Language, young lady." Buffy reprimanded her. "It was a different time, dear. Extreme times require extreme measures."

"Right." Annie said, and Buffy wanted to strangle Dawn because of the smile on her face. She didn't get the chance to do it because Annie spoke anew.

"And I did pick up the words 'pregnant girlfriend'." Annie said, smirking. "You guys told me you were already married when I was born."

End of Chapter


	23. Reasons

**Chapter 22**

**Reasons**

**A/N:** Chapter twenty-two of the series.

**Disclaimer:** All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the show. Original characters are mine.

**Feedback:** Sure, as you wish.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

London, England

The Watcher's Council

December 2017

Wesley and Illyria sat quietly in one corner of the Council's cafeteria.

Most of the lights were turned down and the only things resembling food where a few donuts left behind and the coffee pot filled to the brim. Since the probability of war was over their necks, the non fighting personnel had been dispatched home for the afternoon. The Magic Box had closed for 'inventory' and the library in the first floor had closed because of an 'unexpected plague'.

The FBI still watched them but they had bought the story, and had minimized their stakeouts around the building, leaving only one car and two agents on duty. Giles and Willow had already devised a spell meant to make them fall asleep all night, in case something should happen. They'd wake up with the first light and no report would be filled in.

If the attack came, they would be safe.

'Or they could die while they sleep.' Wesley thought. Much better than the way he'd gone.

Illyria sat quietly next to him, curiously enjoying her thirtieth cup of coffee. She'd taken quite a liking for coffee, referring to it as one of the few things the world had for it. Wesley found it both amusing and disgusting. Amusing because he never believed a god would enjoy coffee, and disgusted because Fred had absolutely loved it.

He stared at her and wondered why she spent time with him, when he made the impossible to get her off his back. He found annoying the fact he referred to Illyria as a 'she', when it didn't have any gender to begin with. Wesley's training as a slayer told him the gender was only a remainder of the host's body, and the god inside didn't thing anything akin to male or female.

It just existed and found concepts such as man or woman beneath it's power and unworthy to consider.

But all his training went to hell when she looked at him or when he walked besides her.

If he was honest, he still loved the body Illyria inhabited. It still had the soft curves Fred had, even when she'd been slender and was not voluptuous as Cordelia had been.

Fred had not been the kind of girl you'd whistle at while walking on the street, or the sultry kind you craned your neck just to catch a glimpse of her ass.

Fred had been the kind of girl you'd feel excited to introduce to your parents, who in return would congratulate you and feel proud.

Fourteen years ago, Illyria had asked him why he'd stayed with her the night they were sure they would all die. He'd been honest when replying he had no other place to go. He looked at her now and wanted to ask her the same thing.

'Why are you still here?' He thought. 'Why do you like to haunt me? Why do you put up with me? Why won't you behave like the fucking god you are and leave us alone?'

But every time he was about to ask, something inside of him cowered in fear, and it wasn't only the thing. It was a panic that reminded him of his childhood terror of being left alone. Everyone he'd cared about had left him, and it had taken a toll on his sanity.

Thus, he didn't dare to chase away the only thing that tolerated him.

"Something is wrong?" Illyria asked, feeling his gaze over her. Wesley hesitated, and even thought about answering, but old habits die hard.

He looked away and ignored her question.

Time went by, and Illyria focused on her coffee and did not ask again.

-------------------------------------

"I want in."

Buffy sighed and stared at the still dirty plates in the sink. They had been piling up for the past week and she was feeling the need to slay them. She slowly turned around and stared at Dawn, who'd stopped reading a book and was staring at her niece, and then at Annie, wondering what she'd meant.

"Sorry?" Buffy asked.

"I said I want in." Annie repeated, crossing her arms. "As in I want to fight with you when the time comes."

Buffy cursed in her mind, but didn't let it show. She turned off the faucet, dried her hands and sat again at the table, facing her daughter.

"I'm serious." Annie said, her face stern. "I want to help."

"This is not a game, Annie." Buffy carefully said, not wanting to hurt her daughter's feelings. "People die in this sort of things, honey. People dear to us have died in this battles. Remember aunt Anya?"

"I'm aware." Annie said. "I'm not stupid."

Buffy cringed, but her daughter continued.

"I know what is going to happen, but if my entire family is going to be there, why am I not allowed to fight with them?"

"She's got you there, Buff." Dawn said, a smile on her face.

'Shut up, Dawn.' Buffy thought, and felt a slight satisfaction when her eyes sent the message.

"Listen, Annie. I told you I'd let you train and fight with me, but until what age?" Buffy asked.

"Until sixteen." Annie almost growled. "But we don't know if we'll make it."

"Don't say that." Buffy replied. "We'll make it through, dear. We've done it in the past and we'll do it again. Don't worry."

Annie didn't answer. She stood up and slowly walked away, a muscle twitching in her jaw and fire in her eyes.

"Whoa." Dawn whispered. "Quite a temper this one has."

"Reminds me of you." Buffy said, covering her face with her hands. "I wonder what's more difficult, being the leader of the slayers or being practically a single parent."

Buffy regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth, expecting Dawn to go off against Angel again, but frowned when Dawn remained quiet.

"Dawn?" Buffy asked. Her sister slowly looked at her.

"Did you see the muscle twitching in her jaw?" Dawn said, her voice soft. "And her temper, Buff, nothing like mine or yours."

"Guess she gets that from her father."

"Please. Angel's got two modes. Fighting Angel and Brooding Angel." Dawn replied. "And her eyes…"

"I know." Buddy looked at the spot where her child had been. "That's the way I know how she really feels. When she's really anger, they look like ice, Dawnie. The blue just turns cold. But when she's happy, they look like the ocean; warm and inviting."

Something began to twirl inside Dawn'sh ead, and she didn't like the way it was leading her.

"Blue eyes like yours, Dawnie." Buffy continued. "Her hair is like mom's. I swear I almost fainted when I saw her dark blond curls. Angel's not blonde and you and I know I'm not one, either. If mom had met her, I swear they would look so alike."

"They have." Dawn interrupted, her eyes still lost. "When mom visited me, she saw Annie."

"Really?" Buffy asked, her eyes suddenly filling with tears. "God, it must have been great."

Buffy felt her voice break, so she remained quiet, trying to imagine the reunion between her mother and her daughter. A hand on her shoulder brought her back to reality.

"I…, was I seeing things? Or does Annie have a scarred eyebrow?" Dawn asked.

"Connor was sparring with her a few days ago." Buffy answered. "Even though I asked them not to."

"Shouldn't her quick healing erase the scar?" Dawn asked.

Buffy seemed to consider the question.

"Guess so. Never thought about it before."

The wheels in Dawn's head kept moving. She stood up and walked towards the stairs. Buffy stood up as well and walked next to her sister, frowning.

"Dawnie?" She asked. "What is it?"

Dawn remained silent and Buffy considered if she should give her sister time or if she should ask again. The slayer began to feel worried, for it had been a long time since Dawn behaved oddly. Whenever Dawn fell silent it meant she had strange and weird ideas in her head, and worst of all, it meant she was ready to take action.

"Dawn?" She asked again.

"Come with me." Dawn said, as she climbed the stairs and softly knocked on Annie's door.

"Annie? It's Aunt Dawn." She called out. Moments went by and no one answered. Dawn tried the lock and surprisingly, opened the door. Looking inside, there was no one there.

"Really a Summers, right?"

Buffy chuckled.

"Don't worry." She said. "Can still feel her inside the house."

"You can feel her?"

"Yup. Don't know if it's a slayer thing or a mom-daughter thing."

"Well, where is she, you brunette haired human radar?"

"Watch it." Buffy replied, smiling. "My quick tempered daughter happens to be hiding in the one place I don't need my radar to find her."

Buffy looked up, Dawn mimicking the movement.

"Annie's favorite hiding place." Buffy said, pointing at the small trap door.

"The attic."

End of Chapter


	24. Suit of Armor

**Chapter 23**

**A Suit of Armor**

**A/N: **Chapter twenty-three of the series.

**Disclaimer:** Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows own it. Original characters are mine.

**Feedback:** Sure, as you wish.

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North London

December 2017

Annie hated the way her emotions dictated her actions.

Even as a little girl, she had always allowed her heart to lead the way, unsure if it was the right thing to do or the wrong one. She did what her heart asked her to do.

'Lot of bloody wrong calls.' She thought.

She'd ran away from the kitchen, seeing red and not thinking clearly, just wanting to escape. She'd made her way up to the attic, and as her heart stopped pounding on her chest, she begun to realize she'd gone the wrong way. She had been so worked up about the prospect of upcoming war she never stopped to think her mother would never allow her to fight.

Annie sat in the mattresses where she and Connor once sparred and let her mind wander off. She was afraid, having heard what the previous battles had done to her friends and family, but she was terrified of losing her parents and not being able to do anything about it.

Annie sighed. She didn't want to think about it, so she stood up and went to the far end of the attic, where she knew her parents hid their secrets. Annie slowly picked up boxes piled up atop an old trunk, and carefully placed them aside. She knew she had time. Her mother usually gave her plenty of space and time after they disagreed. She was thankful for her mother's respect of her privacy. Without it, she would have never found what she was presently searching for.

Carefully, Annie removed the lock she'd broken years ago. She did it slowly, knowing her parents went up to check the integrity of their secrets. Annie frowned, not understanding what was so dangerous about the stuff they kept there.

Annie finally opened the trunk and stared at the things within. She saw her mother's old diary, where she'd written about the first time she'd met her father. Annie placed the book away respectfully, and took out a long, sharp dagger.

She would never ask about it, but she always wondered why her mother kept such an excellent weapon locked away. She also placed it away, itching to know if the stains on the blade were made of blood, and whose blood it was.

Annie kept removing objects from the trunk until she found what she was looking for. She took out the large white box, placed it under her arm and walked to where the mirror stood. She placed the box on the floor, tied her hair up in a ponytail and removed her denim jacket.

She opened the box and stared at its contents. She caressed the hidden object and felt the strange sensation she always noticed upon touching the black leather coat.

She took it out of the box and put it on, looking at herself on the mirror. Every time she felt sad or depressed, she'd come up into the attic and take the coat out of its hiding place. She didn't understand why, but once she placed the coat on, she felt as if she'd put armor on. Annie smirked and loved the way she looked in the mirror. The first time she'd worn the coat she'd been to small and the long leather dragged on the floor as she walked. She'd sworn she would use the coat one day, when she'd grown up enough to wear it properly.

Annie closed her eyes and placed her hands on the pockets. There she discovered what had been there for as long as she could remember. She took out the pack of Morley cigarettes and as usual, placed one of them on her mouth. She had never tried to smoke, and she hated the people who did. The smoke and the smell hurt her sensitive nostrils, so she'd never even tried to learn.

So engrossed she'd been with her own image, she never heard her mother and aunt open the trap door and climb up the stairs.

Annie jumped as she heard the sharp intake of air behind her. She quickly spun around, caught in the action and the unlit cigarette fell off her mouth. She only saw her mother's eyes, open wide and her face pale.

"Annie." Her mother said, her voice shaking. "Where did you find that?"

-----------------------------

Buffy stared at her daughter, wearing something she thought was well hidden in the old attic. She'd taken the time to check the old trunk, still untouched under many boxes filled with diverse items, meant to divert Annie's attention from the true secrets buried within the trunk.

However, she never took the time to thoroughly inspect the old box, out of fear and denial.

'Stupid.' Buffy thought. "Stupid, lazy idiot.'

Right in front of her, a fourteen year old wore a leather coat that once belonged to a slayer.

"Annie." She found herself talking. "Where did you find that?"

She'd seen the cigarette fall from her daughter's mouth, and she thanked God it wasn't lit, because otherwise, she would have dropped dead in front of her daughter and sister.

Annie looked like the proverbial deer caught in the headlights, her mouth open and her eyes as wide as two plates.

"Thought she could feel you back." Dawn said, smiling.

"Not now, Dawn." Buffy growled. "Not. Now."

Annie looked at her mother and aunt, not knowing what to do. She quickly reacted and crossed her arms and gave them a hard look.

"Can't fight with you, and now I can't even put on a soddin' coat?" She dared her mother. Dawn's smile faded.

"I'm not going to discuss this with you, young lady." Buffy said, straining to keep her voice down. "Take that thing off and go to your room."

Annie was about to answer something when Dawn stepped in the middle of them.

"Buffy, wait." Dawn said. "Calm down. You too, Annie."

Both mother and daughter seemed to be about to jump out of their skin, but remained tensely still.

"Look at your daughter." Dawn softly said. "Look at her."

Buffy's face turned red and looked at Dawn's eyes.

"No."

"Buffy…"

"I said no!" She replied. "Annie, your room, now!"

Annie growled and walked away, not bothering to take off the coat and bring it back to the place she'd found it. Buffy turned around to go after her but Dawn held her arm.

"No more living in the land of dreaming." Dawn said. "Step out of denial. Look me in the eye and tell me your daughter isn't a carbon copy of someone else."

Buffy struggled to free her arm of Dawn's grip, surprised because of the strength displayed.

"What's the matter, Buff?" She asked. "Can't get free?"

"Let me go." Buffy strained as Dawn's fingers seemed to dig into her skin.

"Not this time." Dawn said. "Look at me."

Buffy looked around, anywhere to avoid looking into her sister's eyes.

"Look at me." Dawn repeated.

One lone tear ran down Buffy's cheek.

"I know!" She screamed. "I know." She softly repeated.

"I'm not blind, you know." Buffy said. "I have seen the same things you are seeing now."

Dawn let go of her sister's arm and took a step back.

"Want to tell me something?"

"She is Angel's daughter." Buffy said. "I am sure of it."

"I saw a blonde walk out of here." Dawn said. "Her eyes blue, but not the same blue mom, dad or I have. You and I have seen that blue before."

"I thought so at first." Buffy replied. "But it's physically impossible.

"Look at her face." Dawn continued. "And I'm not only talking about her eyes. She's turning into a teenager and the baby fat is going away. Want to bet what kind of face she'll have when she's eighteen?"

Buffy did not reply, only hugged herself and looked away.

"It just clicked." Dawn said, placing her hands on each of Buffy's shoulders. "it wasn't so obvious until I saw her wearing the duster."

"I know." Buffy whispered. "She even has the same scar."

"What does it mean?" Dawn asked.

"I honestly don't know." Buffy replied, running her hands through her hair. "Annie is Angel's daughter, I can promise you that."

Buffy looked away at the open trap door.

"And yet she's the splitting image of Spike."

End of Chapter


	25. Fathers, Mothers, Sons and Daughters

**Chapter 24**

**Fathers, Mothers, Sons and Daughters**

**A/N:** Chapter twenty-four of the series. We're about halfway through the entire story. Thanks to those who have been kind enough to write a review on and those who have emailed me. I will thank you all individually, but for now I have to acknowledge the two who have always reviewed. Igore at and Luba, with her great website. Thanks to you both. Your reviews and emails help me continue writing these crazy stories.

**Disclaimer:** All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows. Original characters are mine.

**Feedback:** Sure, as you wish.

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London, England

The Watcher's Council

December 2017

Giles stared at the Locator Screen and sighed.

He stared at the gray dot, still blinking a few miles north of Dublin. He wondered what prompted Angel to walk away whenever a major battle was about to erupt. Giles took off his glasses and begun cleaning them, an automatic motion performed every time his mind wandered unnoticed.

He soon forgot his well hidden hatred and anger at the once souled vampire when he looked at the two sleeping in the leather couch. Giles smiled and placed on his glasses as he stared at the peaceful faces of Willow and Xander. The two had barely gotten one good night's sleep, and now were relaxing. There were no news regarding the battle and the Council was currently on an orange alert. Everything was covered should there be an attack.

He once again looked at the two figures, both holding each other in their sleep. He wondered what would have happened if he hadn't appeared on their lives, twenty years ago.

He didn't know if Xander would have kept his eyesight.

He didn't know if Willow would have ever dabbed in magic.

He wondered if lives would have been lost or saved.

He wondered if Buffy would have ignored her calling or if she would have embraced it.

He didn't know how things could have worked out, but he was sure of one thing. He loved the three kids and he loved the three adults they had turned out to be.

Giles kept looking at them, and wondered if they loved him as much as he did. He was so proud of them, having seen them grow, helping them become good women and good men. He'd seen Buffy grow, get married and have a child. He didn't exactly agree with her choice of men, but he was grateful she'd allowed him to stay by her side.

He silently thanked her every day for her greatest gift. She'd asked him to give her at the altar, when she had married Angel, even when her father had been sitting in the back.

His eyes always watered when he remembered how beautiful she'd been.

Willow stirred and Xander closed his arms around her. Giles smiled and felt warm inside. He knew those two loved each other deeply and wondered why they had never tried the obvious. Xander had loved many women in his life, but he always ended up turning to Willow for help.

On the other hand, it was clear who her safe haven was. The redhead had grown to become a stunningly beautiful woman, and even with her blatant bisexuality, she was a girl any parent would love to have as a daughter in law.

A button blinked on the intercom, void of rings out of respect for the sleeping pair. Giles answered, his voice low.

"Hey." Buffy spoke. "What's the verdict for tonight?"

"All clear." He replied. "There are no new reports and the mystical plane is quiet."

"Still an hour till nightfall." Buffy said. "Why are you whispering?"

"Willow and Xander are asleep here." He said. "I don't think you'll need to come here."

"Well, I believe you will need to come here." She said.

"Care to explain?"

"Need you to talk to Annie." She explained.

"Ah." Giles said. "You need a babysitter."

"No, for that I've got Dawn." She replied. "I need you to help me talk to her."

"What happened this time?" He asked, fearing the answer.

"I found her this afternoon wearing Spike's duster."

"What?" Giles nearly choked, regretting it instantly as Xander groaned in his sleep. Giles took three deep breaths and reigned his temper in. "I thought that coat had been destroyed."

"I kept it." She confessed. "Don't ask me why, don't question my motifs. She found it, period. She's being stubborn and wants to fight with us the minute the war starts. I can't control her and her father is missing. I need you to help me with your granddaughter."

Giles shook his head, even though he knew Buffy couldn't see him.

"What do you want me to do, Buffy?" Giles asked. "She doesn't even know who Spike was, beyond the point of knowing him as William the Bloody."

"And that is my fault, I know." She said. "But what happened in those days is not something I want her to know."

"Your untimely death or the months after?"

"It's enough she was once kidnapped by Drusilla. I don't want her to know how awful those days were."

"Or you don't want her to know Spike was in love with you."

Silence answered his statement and he sighed.

"Very well." He finally said. "I can be there in ten minutes."

"Thanks." Buffy said and hung up.

Giles did as well and stood up. He turned off his computer and walked till he was standing over the two sleeping figures. He knelt down and softly poked Xander's shoulder. The man woke up almost immediately.

"What?" Xander groaned.

"Have to go." Giles said.

"What time is it?"

"Not too late." Giles answered. "Have to leave. Buffy wants me as a babysitter."

"Isn't Annie a bit too old to have a babysitter?"

"Looks like our mini Buffy struck again."

"Oh boy. Isn't she the little firecracker."

"Right." Giles smiled. "Buffy wants me there, so if she feels comfortable with the both of us there, so be it."

Willow stirred and Xander softly covered her ears.

"Fine. You'll stay over there?"

"Probably." Giles said. "Should anything happen…"

"I'll give you a call."

"Be seeing you in the morning, then."

Xander nodded and Giles walked away. As he made his way to the elevators, he had the sudden idea he might as well leave Xander in control of everything. The thought of the Council being led to battle by an old man had been bothering him for the past nights.

He rarely felt fear before marching to battle, but this time, he felt he wouldn't be of much use on the battlefield.

The elevator's doors opened in front of him, and Giles could feel the years weighing on him.

-----------------------------------

Xander heard his father as he walked inside the elevator.

Willow stirred once again and he eased his grip on her. He still remembered how she looked, fourteen years ago, and wondered if she still looked the same. She moved, still on top of him, and he wondered how they had ended in such an intimate position.

Not that he was bothered, far from it; ever since they were children they'd slept together.

Yet, they weren't children, or teenagers, anymore. They were adults, lonely for the past years, and they had always counted on each other for everything. He took a deep breath and inhaled all scents Willow. Ages ago, he had thought of her as a woman instead of only a friend. Things had not worked out, for he'd been infatuated by Cordelia's memory, and Willow genuinely loved Oz.

He'd once wondered if Willow's choice of Tara had been a way of waiting for Oz to return. But he'd been a stupid young man, too hurt to see true love where it really was. Ironic how he could 'see' love better while being blind.

He knew Willow still went to the Pantheon at least three times a week. It hurt to realize the bodies of Tara, Joyce and Anya weren't really there, but it gave them something physical to hold on while crying for them.

He wondered how much loss could they all cope with. The three original Scoobies had lost too much, too many, and he feared that had closed them off and had sent their emotional health to hell. He hadn't been in any meaningful relationship after Anya, and he knew what he had in Okinawa wasn't anything real.

Geishas were merely doing their jobs.

He knew what a serious job that was, having taken the time to read about the ancient tradition. Against popular belief, Geishas were not obligated to sleep with their employers, save a real emotional bond existed, or a romantic interest.

Sora was a beautiful woman, but he knew she would never love him the way he needed.

He shook his head. He brought his mind back to the here and now and forced himself to fully wake up. He focused on something else besides Willow's scent and smelt something else.

Besides the normal smells natural to London, he detected something else.

"Great." He whispered, as he reached for his cell phone discarded on a small night table next to the couch.

He dialed his father's number and hoped we wouldn't wake Willow.

"What is it?" Giles answered quickly.

"Are you still in the building?" Xander asked.

"Yes, why?"

"Inside the elevator?"

"No, have just walked out of it and am on my way to my car. What is it?" Giles asked, frowning.

"Did you look outside?"

"Xander, our cars are in Sub Level 1. I can't see outside from here."

"Well, I can't see outside from anywhere, but I smelt something. Get to the main foyer."

"All right, all right." Giles sighed, walking back to the elevator. "You weren't this bossy before."

"You weren't my dad before."

"That's cheating."

"Hey, whatever I've picked up I picked it up from you, Ripper."

"Now that's a hit below the belt. Ok, I'm in the elevator, wait up."

Giles walked inside the elevator and pressed the button '1'. Soon, he was in Level 1 and looked around.

"What is it you're trying to tell me?" He asked.

"Look outside." Xander said. Giles grumbled and complained about 'bad manners' and stopped when he saw out of the window.

"Oh." He said.

"Smelt it." Xander said. "Hope nothing happens now."

"A few clouds and rain means nothing, son."

"It does when vampires get to attack an hour earlier."

"Should have seen it before." Giles said, as he walked back to the elevators. "Closed the curtains in my office so you two could sleep better."

"Thanks." Xander said. "Look, nothing may happen tonight, but I'll wake Willow up. We must be alert."

"Right. I'm coming back up."

"What about Annie?"

"Guess our talk will have to wait." Giles said, already back inside the elevator and his finger pressing the '6' button.

End of Chapter

**A/N 2:** Been thinking about sharing the music I listen to while writing this crazy thing.

Some recommendations are:

The Cure – A letter to Elise

Depeche Mode – Somebody

More to come as the story progresses.


	26. To Protect Her

**Chapter 25**

**To Protect Her**

**A/N:** Chapter twenty five of the series. I want to thank the following:

Tamara (aka ladycat or margaret)

Mnmbelle

Dany Hethrington

Caroline Tremblay

Dar (aka BMOM9008)

Rsrain6 (aka samson)

And of course, one more time, all of you together, for

Igore

And Luba Kmetyk.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and be so kind to write a review.

**Disclaimer:** All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows. Original characters are mine.

**Feedback:** Sure, as you wish.

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North London

December 2017

Buffy looked at the sky through the kitchen window and frowned.

She'd been too upset with both Dawn and Annie to notice the gathering of clouds outside. Leave it to London to start raining and cutting off the last hour of sunlight.

Something in her head clicked and she picked up the phone and called Giles.

"Sorry, Buffy, but have you seen the sky?" Giles said as he picked up the call.

"Saw it right now." She said. "Guess that means you're not coming, right?"

"Don't think so." He replied. "At least not for an hour or two. Will have to upgrade the search right now. We didn't realize rain could change all plans."

"Ok. I'll be there in five."

"There's no need to…"

"I want to be there." Buffy said. "There were no clouds yesterday or before that. This rain looks too suspicious to be natural."

"Very well, see you here, then."

Buffy hung up, picked up her cell, her keys and walked outside. Dawn noticed and walked behind her.

"Buffy?" She asked. The slayer turned around and pointed up. Dawn nodded, but shrugged.

"This is London, right? Rainy and foggy all year long?"

"Still, it's suspicious."

"What about Giles?"

"Called him already." Buffy said, already inside her car. "We'll meet over there, to see if something bad could happen tonight."

"Do you think…?"

Buffy looked into her sister's eyes and nodded.

"If it is today…"

Dawn nodded, and saw her sister take off in the Smart car. She walked back inside and locked the door. She heard a noise behind and turned to look, seeing Annie walking down the stairs, still wearing the leather coat.

"There's gonna be rain." She said.

"Your mom already saw." Dawn replied walking into the kitchen, Annie following behind.

"She left me behind." Annie said, sitting at one of the kitchen's stools. "Even after I asked her to let me fight."

"Look, honey, she wants you to stay inside the house." Dawn said. "It's safer here."

"How do we know that?" Annie asked. " I was home 'safely' when that crazy vampire kidnapped me years ago."

Dawn cringed but she couldn't let her niece take the upper hand.

"That was different and you know it." Dawn said. "You won't convince me, and I won't let you out of my sight."

"I can help." Annie said.

"I know how you feel, dear." Dawn said, coming close enough to her niece and caressing her head. "Felt the same when I was your age. Went out in the night to help and only succeeded in making things worse.

"What happened?"

"Let's just say it was the darkest moment in our history." Dawn said. "So, yes, you will stay here, and you will let me protect you."

"There won't be anything you'll be able to do if they come tonight." Annie said.

"Of course I can." Dawn said.

"Protect me?"

"Till the end of the world."

"Even if it happens to be tonight?"

"Even if it is tonight." Dawn said. "Made a promise to a lady."

-------------------

A recently awakened Willow yawned as she stared at the Locator Screen.

She stared at the blinks moving and noticed Buffy's coming closer to the Council.

"She's almost here." She said.  
"What about Faith?" Xander asked.

"She's nearby. Called her and said we should call when the army attacks, not when we think so." Xander and Giles frowned. "Right, that's Faith for you."

"Our active slayers are already inside the building." Xander said. "They're ready for every thing."

"What's our head count?" Giles asked.

"412 watchers, and 398 slayers." Xander replied.

"Shouldn't there be the same number of both?" Giles asked.

"Some slayers are patrolling." Willow replied. "They are gathering the info we've been receiving for the past days."

"Fourteen slayers less." Giles corrected.

"Just because there will be war it means vampires or demons won't try to feed." Xander said.

"Other times the demon activity has been unusually low before an apocalypse." Giles stated.

"Uh, this is not an apocalypse." Willow said. "This is the Senior Partners trying to murder the slayers."

"The average demon wouldn't know about Balance." Xander continued. "That's why we need to keep on patrolling."

"Fine, but I don't want any of you leaving the premises." He said. "We'll lead the attack from here."

"It should be down there." Xander pointed outside. "We should fight with them."

"Let's not place ourselves in unnecessary danger." Giles replied. "Should a fight arise tonight, Wesley is still inside the building, as well as Connor."

"The slayers won't follow them to battle." Willow said. "They don't trust them."

"if the need should arise, I'll send you to the battlefield." Giles said. "Until that moment, we'll stay here and plan."

Xander sighed, and was about to reply when an emergency message appeared on the Locator Screen.

Willow frowned and sat on her battle station, playing the video message.

The Locator Screen refreshed and an image of one of the patrolling slayers appeared.

"I need to speak to Rupert Giles, soon!" The girl on screen said.

"He's right here." Willow said. "Speak."

"Good night, sir." The dark haired slayer said. "I apologize for not reporting earlier, but we were following a trail a nest of vampires had left behind yesterday. When we found their safe place we found something in the basement."

"What is it, Jean?" Giles asked.

"Jean?" Willow whispered, leaning towards Xander.

"A slayer from Pittsburgh." Xander whispered back. "One of the best. Buffy trained her personally."

"We fond a shrine similar to one depicted on your book sir." Jean Howlett answered. "A dangerous one. Let me show you."

The slayer moved her cell phone and the camera built in it showed them what the slayer said. Giles and Willow gasped and Xander itched to know what had they seen.

"What is it?" Xander asked, feeling truly blind for a second.

"Xander, it's…"

"Turok hans." Giles interrupted. "It's a portal, similar to the hellmouths."

"Whoa." Xander said. "Thought there were only two hellmouths and one was closed."

"Thought so as well." Jean said over the line. "But this marks are consistent with those displayed on the hellmouth located in Sunnydale."

"And the wheel…"

"What wheel?" Xander asked as he heard Willow's words.

"The wheel, sir." Jean's face appeared again onscreen. "Is used for sacrifices. Blood rites."

Xander flinched and the image was soon in his mind, remembering how he had been used to open the hellmouth and the first turok han had found his way into the world.

"We believe the vampires we traced wanted to sacrifice someone here and open the door." Jean continued. "But we have no idea why. A turok han would kill them as well."

"Mind control, perhaps?" Giles asked.

"It would take another vampire to enthrall them, sir." Jean replied. "It takes an old vampire to actually mesmerize other vampires."

"Unfortunately, Jean, there is one." Giles said. "Look, just gather everyone in your pack and get back here. Right now."

"Very well, sir, we'll…"

Jean's words were cut short as the image jerked out of control and kept sending the message from an awkward angle as it landed.

Giles and Willow lost their breath when they saw Jean was struggling against a turok han. The next seconds went s fast they seemed like a blur.

The last thing they saw in the screen was Jean's battered face as she crashed next to her now discarded cell.

End of Chapter

**A/N 2:** Jean Howlett is a character previously used in one of my stories. I created her for the 'Enough-Closure' storyline. She's a slayer from Pittsburgh, trained by Buffy and presumably one of the strongest, at least in my imagination. I haven't taken the time to describe her physically, but I imagine her to be as short as Buffy, her hair is dark and curly. Big, almond eyes. Round face and her body is similar to Sarah M. Gellar's. And yes, she is physically based in someone I know.

The name Jean comes from Jean Grey, character of the X-Men, property of Marvel Entertainment Group. The last name Howlett is actually Wolverine's real last name. Wolverine, James Howlett, Logan or however you want to call him is also a character property of Marvel Entertainment Group. As a sucker for lost causes, I got their names together, hence the 'Jean Howlett' moniker.

Music for today:

Mogwai – 2 Rights Make 1 Wrong

Evanescence - Anywhere


	27. Force of Arms

**Chapter 26**

**Force of Arms**

**A/N:** Chapter twenty-six of the series.

**Disclaimer:** All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the show. Original characters are mine.

**Feedback:** Sure, as you wish.

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London, England

The Watcher's Council

December 2017

Illyria was startled out of her coffee when Wesley suddenly stood up.

Still in the cafeteria, Wesley looked around and Illyria felt the dark shroud she always sensed when the thing woke inside of him. Her eyes followed him as he approached the nearest window and stared outside. She slowly stood up as well and walked until she was standing right behind him.

In a move reminiscent of Fred, she tiptoed and leaned on Wesley's shoulder, peeking her head above his left one and staring outside.

"What are we looking at?" She asked. Wesley would have snapped back at her had she mimicked Fred's voice. Her hands on him were already upsetting enough, and her emotionless voice was the only thing keeping him from taking a shot at her.

"Something is not right." He replied. "If you focus you'll surely feel it."

Illyria narrowed her eyes and concentrated. Wesley, on the other hand, was losing focus because of her hands still on him. Carefully, knowing how she was still stronger than him, he disentangled himself from her and returned to the chair. She followed him with her eyes again and waited until he returned her gaze.

"Feels like vampires." She said. "Many of them."

"Not your average vampire." Wesley said, picking up his cell from the table. "We must go upstairs."

"This has something to do with the sudden thunderstorm?" She asked. Wesley seemed to ponder the question for a moment.

"Probably." He repeated as he began walking towards the elevators. "Then again, this is London."  
Illyria nodded and rushed to reach him.

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Buffy's cell rang and she knew something had gone wrong.

"Tell me it's not bad news." She said as she answered.

"They're already here." Giles replied.

"I asked you to tell me they weren't bad news." Buffy said. "Dammit. What happened?"

"Jean Howlett called a few moments ago." Giles said. "She had discovered something unusual. A sort of hellmouth."

"What?"

"Very similar to an actual hellmouth, but of course manufactured, there are only two active hellmouths in the world."

"So? What happened?"

"Remember the wheel the demon used fourteen years ago to bleed Xander and free the firs turok han?"

"Yeah, why?"

"There was a similar torture wheel above, but that's not the worst part."

"Oh boy."

"A turok han assaulted Jean. That happened exactly three minutes ago and we haven't been able to reach her."

"So we don't know if she or her slayers are alive."

"Exactly."

"Dammit. Are the slayers there ready and armed?"

"Just waiting for you."

"Any news on the other slayers patrolling?"

"Already on their way back."

"Good. Stay in the office. Everyone in there?"

"Not yet."

"Ask Connor and Wesley to join the slayers. Something tells me I'll need them."

"Very well."

Buffy hung up the phone and jammed the gas as hard as she could. The Smart's wheels screeched and she hoped war would wait for her.

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Faith was not a patient person.

Even when she'd spent the better part of the past fourteen years trying to erase all bad memories and bad habits, she still found herself struggling to remain calm under stress.

Robin Wood was running besides her, trying to keep up with her. They had received an urgent message informing them about the sudden turok han attack, and ordered to return to the Council as soon as possible. He'd asked her to wait for him and call a cab, but she's immediately and literally leapt to action and began running full speed. Robin knew he had no chance of reaching her but he hoped she'd restrain herself out of respect for his lesser speed. He sighed as he struggled to keep her in sight. He knew she grew restless before going into battle until she fought or destroyed something. In the fourteen years he'd known her, she never ceased to amaze him.

He sometimes had the Freudian nightmare he loved her only because she was a slayer, like his mother.

He shook his head as he lost sight of her on a left turn. He slowed down and decided the best course of action would be calling a cab and trying to get there with her.

He stood in the middle of the street and remembered when he'd first met Faith.

She'd been an ex con back then, but he'd never met a former inmate more beautiful than her. What she lacked in finesse and education, she more than made up with her will to learn and her obviously unexplored curiosity.

He knew she felt she owed something to the world, and she'd received her shot at turning into the Champion he always knew she'd been back in Sunnydale.

She had saved the world.

That still amazed him. He was dating a girl who'd saved the world.

She wore the amulet Angel had gotten from Wolfram & Hart, and he still remembered the moment Buffy walked into her kitchen and announced she had an extra weapon.

'This amulet will help us.' Buffy had said. 'I don't know how it works, but it's meant to be worn by someone more than human and with a soul.'

All eyes fell on her, and wondered if it wasn't a bad idea to let her wear it.

'You can't wear it.' Giles had said. 'You clearly said it, you don't know how it works. You're pregnant, Buffy.'

'I know I am.' Buffy had replied. 'But I have to use it. More than human and with a soul.'

Everyone had fell silent until Faith spoke up.

'Then hand it up.' She'd said. 'More than human, check. Soul? Still there, I guess.'

Buffy's eyes had hardened and she's stared at Fait.

'It's meant to be worn by a champion.' Buffy had said. Robin still remembered how Faith had flinched. It was almost imperceptible, but he'd seen how she'd been hurt. Faith had merely nodded and looked away, but then Buffy had taken a step towards her and had handed the amulet to Faith.

He smiled as he remembered the look in Faith's eyes. All trust and love lost between the two slayers had been delivered back with that simple gesture. He still swore Faith had blushed, and the honest smile in her face was still one of the greatest things he'd seen in his life.

He sighed and knew he was more in love with her than ever before. He sometimes wished he could be normal and emotionally balanced in order to completely love her, but there were still too many unresolved chapters in his past. Too much pain and guilt in his soul prevented him from feeling free to love and live the good life.

But he knew his prayers had been finally heard.

The animal responsible for the death of his mother had reappeared, after years of feeling robbed of his righteous vengeance. He had a second chance to kill the one who'd taken away his mother.

A taxi finally appeared and Robin gave the directions to the Council. As the taxi sped by, he once again remembered how complete Faith had felt after she'd been chosen by Buffy to wear the amulet and save the world.

He was aware Faith sometimes wondered if the amulet wasn't meant to be worn by someone else, because she felt her soul cleansed of all the anger and pain she'd felt in her short life.

When he'd asked her what she meant about it, she'd turned tearful eyes to him and had whispered a single word.

He laid back in his seat and hoped he once felt the same thing.

'Redemption.'

End of Chapter

**A/N 2:** Music for today:

The Cure – Plainsong

Oh, heck, listen to the whole 'Disintegration' album. Best bloody thing out there.


	28. Apollo 13

**Chapter 27**

**Apollo 13**

**A/N: **Chapter twenty seven of the series.

**Disclaimer:** All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the show. Original characters are mine.

**Feedback:** Sure, as you wish.

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London, England

December 2017

Faith kept running and couldn't feel but help bad for ditching Robin.

She knew she'd been in too much of a hurry but she could have waited for a cab. Still, he knew how anxious she got before a fight and he knew as well she'd make it up for him once the battle was over.

So she ran full speed, knowing she could be in the Council minutes before he could even catch a cab. She smiled as she realized he'd understand and wouldn't give her hell about it.

She had never been in love before, so she didn't know if what she felt for Robin Wood was love or just thankfulness. He had seen past the murderer, the traitor, the violent, uneducated person and had been the first human being to not give up on her. He'd taught her everything a watcher could to a slayer, and what a good man could show a woman.

She would be forever grateful for the different kind of life he'd shown her. She didn't know many things, but she knew she'd stick with him for as long as he wanted to stick with her.

Faith chuckled and felt another slayer approaching. Her smile changed into a frown, because she never knew which of the thousand slayers was approaching, and missed the simple days when it had only been Buffy and herself.

She looked around and smiled as she heard the car honking at her. The smart car was quickly approaching and Faith could see Buffy's smile through the windshield.

The car slowed down a notch and Buffy opened the passenger's door. Understanding without words, Faith timed her jump and leapt at the still moving car. As Buffy took a sharp left, she smiled at Faith.

"Didn't know if you'd get it." She said. Faith laughed out loud and gave her both thumbs up.

"Figured you wouldn't want to waste time."

Buffy nodded and soon they were in the Council's garage. Minutes later they were inside Giles' office, looking at the Locator Screen.

"What's the plan, G-Man?" Faith asked. Both Xander and Giles turned their heads towards her. She smiled and shrugged.

"Well, we don't know what numbers we're against, here, but we're still deciding what to do about Jean." He answered.

"Meaning?" Buffy asked, staring at the unmoving red dots in Northern London.

"Was waiting for your input." Xander replied. "Should we endanger more slayers in a rescue attempt or should we accept what was seen through the video feed and concentrate on other things."

"Was it so bad?" Buffy asked again.

Willow pressed some buttons on her station and the Screen showed the video again.

"There's only one turok han." Buffy said.

"And four slayers are not moving." Giles countered. "We only saw one of them, Buffy, but the four red dots are not moving."

"For all we know, they're already dead." Xander said. "Cold, I know, but we have to be objective now."

"Well, I've killed many turok hans, and so has Lehanne here." Buffy said. Faith growled but nodded. "So I say we're going to see if Jean and her slayers are still alive."

"Let me come with you." Wesley suddenly spoke.

Buffy was surprised because of his sudden interest but nodded. Illyria stood forward as they began walking away but he turned around and stopped her on her tracks.

"You stay here." He said. "You'll help them more here."

She seemed unsure of what to say, but she nodded and went to seat on Wesley's battle station.

Everyone frowned but said nothing.

The three fighters left the office and were halfway down when Wesley spoke.

"No need to feel so nervous, Faith." He said. Faith squirmed but didn't speak.

"Not that I'm complaining, but why did you volunteer?" Buffy asked instead.

"I can feel them." He said. "Didn't want to upset the inner circle anymore, but there are many of them."

"What are you talking about?" Buffy questioned. "I can't feel them."

"I can't explain how, but Illyria felt them as well." He replied.

Buffy frowned but soon realized his intentions.

"How many?" She asked.

"Don't know." He replied. "I have to tell you, Buffy, if there are as many as I can actually feel, we won't be able to rescue your slayers."

"We still have to try." Faith intervened. "We can't leave anyone behind."

The three nodded and soon were on their way.

------------------------

Ten minutes later, they drove through an unusually quiet city.

"This is not right." Buffy said.

"Really." Faith sarcastically replied. "What tipped you off?"

Buffy smirked and shut off the headlights. There was something in the air not right, but their 'spidey' sense was not ringing in any way.

"They are near." Wesley said. "Can you feel them?"

"No." Both slayers said.

"That's odd." He replied. "They must have felt you already. We should hurry."

"Right." Buffy said, as she once again jammed her foot on the gas and did as Wesley asked.

In few minutes, they left the parked car and entered the old building from where Jean had sent the video message. Buffy and Faith sighed in relief as they felt their sister slayers and quickly ran inside.

Wesley frowned and decided to wait outside.

The night's air was cold and growing colder by the minute.

The temperature didn't affect him anymore, but he still felt it. The thing inside was leaping with joy, feeling primitive creatures of evil around.

'It feels just like home.' Welsey said. 'Or in a high school reunion.'

He frowned at the stupidity of his thoughts and cursed. He still was confused because of Illyria's display of intimacy back in the Council and felt helpless again. He had spent nine years avoiding her and in one moment of distraction, she touched him and sent his mind for a spin.

The thing disagreed and once again sent a wave of pure lust, making Wesley aware of how it felt every time he was near her.

'Forget it.' He though. 'She is not her. She is NOT her.'

But his mind and the thing were one and the same, and he had to agree he did feel something for her. Seemed as if the love he felt for Fred had morphed and he now felt love for Illyria.

'Madness.' He thought. 'The god inside doesn't think as a woman. It is not a woman. It is beyond something as simple as gender distinction.'

His thoughts were cut short when he felt more turok hans approaching. He let the thing surge forward and his eyes immediately grew more accustomed of the dark and he saw a pack of primitive vampires circling the premises.

"Buffy!" He screamed. He dimly heard her shouted reply and knew she was warned.

He took out his knife and prepared for whatever would come.

-----------------------------

Buffy and Faith jumped the stairs six steps at a time and were soon in the basement.

The image before them was not the gruesome picture they had foreseen and they both thanked God for small favors. The four slayers were badly beaten but they were still alive. They knew it was impossible, because the turok hans were quite strong and would not pass the chance of a free, unconscious meal.

They shook the slayers and waited until they recovered a small resemblance of consciousness. They were helping them stand up when they heard Wesley's scream. Buffy hollered back and began to panic. She looked at Faith and their eyes spoke without words.

"Can't feel them." Faith said.

"Guess that's why Jean was caught by surprise." Buffy replied, and picked two slayers, placing them on each shoulder. Faith mimicked the action and then sprinted upstairs.

Leaving the building, they noticed Wesley standing in the dark, crouched and ready to fight.

"Wesley!" Buffy said, running towards the car. "Ready to go!"

Wesley nodded without turning.

"They're here." He repeated. "Lots of them. Can't you feel them?"

"Nope." Faith answered, dumping the two slayers unceremoniously on the back seat of the car. "We guess that's why they surprised Jean and her pack."

"Probably." He said as he began walking back towards the car. He looked at it and realized the four unconscious slayers took over most of the back seat. He frowned and Faith pushed him to the passenger's seat.

"There's nothing wrong if I seat on your legs, ex watcher." She said. "Those slayers need medical attention and we need to hurry."

Wesley nodded and they were soon jammed inside the small car.

They sped out of the dark streets and saw a line of turok hans marching towards the center of the city.

"Dammit, why can't we feel them?" Buffy asked, feeling nervous and still not turning on the headlights.

"Quite mysterious." Wesley said, wishing Faith would stop moving in his lap. "I'm guessing there's a magical charm on them."

The two conscious slayers nodded and fell quiet as the car swiftly moved through the streets.

Turning left and seconds away from Piccadilly Circus, Buffy jammed her feet on the brakes and stared ahead, her eyes not believing what they were seeing. The three warriors opened the doors and left the car, their eyes wide open and their mouths dry.

Before them, an army of turok hans ravaged the city, destroying and setting the buildings on fire.

For a few seconds, they believed they were experiencing a collective hallucination, until the sound of sirens reached their ears.

The three of them turned to look at each other, unsure of what to do until Faith spoke.

"Houston, we've got a problem."

End of Chapter

**A/N 2:** Music for today:

Chevelle – Send the pan below

Korn – Deep Inside


	29. Napalm

**Chapter 28**

**Napalm**

**A/N:** Chapter twenty eight of the series.

**Disclaimer:** All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the show. Original characters are mine.

**Feedback:** Sure, as you wish.

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London, England

December 2017

Piccadilly Circus resembled a roman arena.

Buffy, Faith and Wesley stared at the spectacle displayed in front of them.

Few seconds went by before they realized they had to take action. Buffy was about to jump into the fray when Wesley's hand held her back.

"Let me go!" She shrieked. "We have to help those people!"

"I know." He said, straining to make his voice heard over the screams and the approaching sirens. "But there are also four injured slayers and there's three of us against thirty of them! Think!"

Buffy looked at Wesley's eyes and then back at the chaos in front of them. Her slayer instincts screamed at her to fight and kill the vampires, but common sense screamed back she had to take the hurt slayers back to the Council.

"You two…"

"No." Wesley interrupted her. "The three of us have to go back and regroup. It doesn't make sense if you fight alone. Three of us couldn't do a thing. One of us would be like committing suicide."

Buffy's conscience screamed and struggled to fight, but she took a deep breath and realized Wesley was right.

"Fine." She said, climbing back to the car. "But we can't do nothing. Faith, call Giles and…"

"Already ringing." Faith replied. Seconds later, Giles answered.

"Where are you?" He asked. "Just received some news regarding a fire and…"

"We're safe and on our way back." Faith said. "But Piccadilly Circus and the surrounding areas are being destroyed by at least thirty turok hans."

"Dear God." Giles gasped. "Right. Three packs of slayers will be sent right this moment."

"Good. See you in five."

She hung up and noticed Wesley looking at her.

"What?" She asked.

"There are thirty primitive vampires attacking London." He said. Faith looked at him as if he had grown another head.

"Well, duh."

"There were no signs of this." He continued. "No disturbances. No warnings. You can't feel them."

"There's a point to it?" Faith asked.

"Wait." Buffy said, her eyes still on the road. "I get where he's going."

"Good one of us does." Faith said.

"Something very weird is going on here." Buffy said. "He's right. We should have sensed the turok hans the moment they set foot in here. We should be able to feel them this moment. Yet we can't."

"Meaning?"

Buffy turned her eyes and stared at Faith's.

"Looks like we were meant to be caught by surprise."

-------------------

"It doesn't make sense." Giles said, looking at Buffy.

Behind them, the four injured slayers were admitted in the Council's infirmary to be taken care of. Faith and Wesley stood behind Buffy, the three of them looking at the head watcher.

"Ask any of the slayers." Buffy said. "Ask them if they feel the turok hans. There are thirty of those Nosferatu wannabe's and we haven't felt them. I sped by them in my car, saw their eyes and still couldn't feel them. What is going on?"

"We believe we were meant to be caught by surprise." Wesley said. "Except I can actually feel them."

"What?"

"That's why I asked to join them." Wesley continued. "Seemed odd a slayer was caught unaware by a vampire, as it happened to the four back there. I do feel them, as Illyria does."

"You asked her to stay behind." Giles said, understanding dawning on him.

"She could feel them if they came." Wesley said. "It's the same with Spike. I felt him but no one else did."

"And any witch in the coven is more than capable of feeling the power of thirty turok hans." Giles said. "Yet they still haven't sent any warning. We are all getting aware of this because of the news."

"Any turok han caught on film?" Buffy asked.

"Not yet." Giles replied. "But sooner or later a cop or a fireman will run into one. This is all over the news, and I worry about the slayers getting caught on film again."

Giles' cell rang again and the faces of the four fighters revealed dread at hearing it. Giles answered and his face confirmed their doubts. Wesley felt a shiver run down his spine and he looked at the nearest window. Buffy looked at both men and both she and Faith understood.

"There." Wesley pointed outside the window. Different columns of fire began to spread throughout the city. Giles closed his cell and his face was paler than ever before.

"That was Willow." He said. "There have been more confirmed attacks. The turok hans are storming London."

"What? How?" Buffy asked.

"The slayers heading to Piccadilly Circus saw them as they were on their way." Giles answered, looking for a chair to sit on. "Said they couldn't feel them."

Giles looked at the two slayers and felt the need to throw up.

"We were wrong." He whispered. "We thought they would focus their attack on us, like they did thirteen years before."

Buffy didn't know where to look at. She heard Giles' words and remembered how the Senior Partners had focused their attack on the alley behind the Hyperion.

Odds were they would focus their attack on the Council, instead of taking it out on the entire city.

"Their focus is the Council." Wesley said, his eyes still fixed outside. "But they're trying to lure us out."

"What?" Giles asked.

"Think about it." Wesley replied. "Your slayers can't feel them. The obvious thing would be for us to wait for them on our turf. Inside the Council. Safe. But if they begin attacking the city and everyone living in it, they're forcing us to go out and fight them on uneven terms."

He turned around and looked at them.

"They want you out of the safety the Council provides." He said. He pointed behind, forcing their eyes to follow his finger. "If you go out there, you may save lives but lose some slayers."

Wesley turned around and stared at the tendrils of smoke rising up to the sky.

" And if you don't attack, London will go out in flames."

----------------------------

Dublin, Ireland

December 2017

Angel was slowly but surely building a lovely drunken stupor.

The bar he was currently visiting had gratefully surprised him when a beautiful redhead with freckles appeared half an hour ago and was shamelessly flirting with him.

He of course knew she was a vampire, but he didn't care. It seemed the ancient fame of once having been Angelus still carried some weight in the old world. The red head clad in black leather had walked inside the bar with an obvious fledgling and had dismissed the git as soon as she'd seen the once master vampire.

Angel was enjoying the undivided attention of the beautiful vampire when the patrons and clients of the bar fell silent. He looked above the vampire's head and saw what had caused such silence. His eyes grew as two round plates as he saw the images of a burning London on the tv screen perched atop the bar's counter.

He roughly set the redhead aside and ignored her objections as he quickly walked to get a closer look at the screen.

What he saw made him feel ashamed for the first time since he'd left London, as he caught sight of a turok han running amok in the screen.

No one in the bar could believe what they were seeing, but since they were more distracted by the fires, they didn't notice the primitive vampire running around.

Angel's soul screamed while another voice laughed.

He cursed himself for being so weak, and hoped his wife and daughter would be safe until his return.

End of Chapter


	30. Red Dawn

**Chapter 29**

**Red Dawn**

**A/N: **Chapter twenty nine of the series.

**Disclaimer:** All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the show. Original characters are mine.

**Feedback:** Sure, as you wish.

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North London, England

December 2017

"Where do you think you're going, young lady?"

Dawn had seen the interaction between mother and daughter and clearly remembered how every adult had treated her when she'd been fifteen years old. She had decided on taking some ice cream upstairs and engage in an aunt to niece talk, sponsored by a whole gallon of chocolate.

Instead, she'd caught said niece with one leg already outside the window. Annie looked back, her eyes wide and surprised because she had not felt her aunt approaching.

"Bet you didn't feel me, right?" Dawn said, as she placed the ice cream on Annie's drawer. She crossed her arms and leaned at the door frame, staring at Annie.

Annie sighed and leapt back into her room.

"Want to tell me where you were going?" Dawn asked.

Annie didn't answer right away, and made a grand show of sighing and plopping down on her bed. Dawn shook her head and went to close the window. She locked it and hoped that would discourage her niece a bit. Looking outside, she stared at the dark clouds looming and the few raindrops already falling.

"Look, honey, you can't go out there." Dawn said, still looking outside. "Well, more like it, you mustn't go out there. There are many things out there itching to sink their teeth on you. You happen to be the daughter of a slayer, and your dad is not very popular out there as well."

Dawn closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against the cool glass of the window.

"You can't leave this house." She said. "Not tonight. I know what it's like to stay behind and feel useless. I can't let anyting happen to you. Not again."

Dawn opened her eyes and heard the raindrops hit the window.

She smiled and turned around to grab the ice cream and wasn't all that surprised to discover Annie was no longer in the room. From the looks of it, she wasn't either inside the house anymore.

"Shit." Dawn said. "Can't believe I fell for it."

---------------------------------

Dublin, Ireland

December 2017

Angel pushed his senses to the limit, trying to feel his wife and daughter.

He knew nothing bad had happened to them. He could have felt it. He was sure of it.

Yet, he'd spent the past days sulking and getting drunk, so that could have altered his perception.

He shook his head, running back to town and hoping his car was were he'd left it. So immersed in his thoughts and guilt, he didn't feel the familiar tingle until a baseball bat was crushed on his chest.

The blow caught him entirely by surprise and he twirled in the air, a perfect circle, before landing unceremoniously. The wind out of him, he growled, remembering the two hundred years he hadn't needed air to survive. He quickly curled into a ball and whirled, expecting another hit.

Receiving none, he managed to catch his breath and recover. He scanned the empty streets, quite unusual, and again struggled to see into the dark.

Since he'd Shanshu'ed, he had been turned into a male slayer of sorts, his strength increased but other things had changed. He still felt uncomfortable with his temperature, hated the fact he needed to breathe, he couldn't see that well in the dark and all stealth had disappeared.

Plus, he wished he could still growl, to warn whomever had dared to attack him. A figure approached him, covered in the shroud of darkness, and he struggled to identify his assailant.

"Not a clever move." He said, still clutching his chest. "Do you know who I am?"

The figure continued to move, making no noise and almost floating.

"I am Angelu…, I am Angel." He said, his tongue tripping. "You surely must have heard of me."

The figure seemed to control lights, for as his assailant approached, all lights around diminished or disappeared. Angel stood tall and once again felt a shiver run down his back.

The figure finally stood right in front of him, and the light revealed a hooded individual, a long cloak hiding any feature, but Angel had already figured who it was.

"It can't be." He whispered.

"Stars and fire couldn't keep us away."

The assailant removed the hood, and revealed a pair of big blue eyes, filled with mad adoration.

"We'll always be together, even if fire rains from the sky."

Angel chuckled.

"Fire has already fallen from the sky, Dru." He said. "What do you want?"

Drusilla smiled and twirled around, the cloak floating around her.

"What the cricket whispers in the night, daddy!" She said. "What the moon asks of the sun every night!"

She stopped twirling and stared at Angel, but her eyes were no longer blue, as a shade of golden appeared on them.

"I want my daddy back."

---------------------------

North London, England

December 2017

Dawn ran outside the house, hoping to catch a glimpse of her very quick niece. Raindrops hit her in the face and hoped she'd brought an umbrella. Seeing nothing in one side of the street, she turned to the direction Annie had most likely followed.

Her eyes saw but her brain couldn't quite process.

The horizon was tingled with orange, as the fire in London quickly spread.

Dawn shook her head, focusing and realizing Annie must had seen the same and had run off looking for her mother.

'Stupid kid.' Dawn thought, looking around and trying to find a solution. 'Why couldn't she be more like her father and run the other way instead.'

Taking another look, Dawn's eyes fell on one particular object.

Figuring she could use something far quicker than her own two legs to catch up with her niece, her eyes settled on the brand new Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren sitting quietly on the neighbor's garage.

She slowly approached the car and thought twice about what she was about to do. It had been years since she'd been taught about this morally challenged decisions, but she figured times of war dictated the course of actions.

She looked up, and noticed the neighbor's tv turned on.

Dawn smiled. She would get only one chance to do it right.

End of Chapter


	31. Shadow of the Vampire

**Chapter 30**

**Shadow of the Vampire**

**A/N:** Chapter 30 of the series.

**Disclaimer:** All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the show. Original characters are mine.

**Feedback:** Sure, as you wish.

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London, England

Somewhere near the Watcher's Council

December 2017

Annie wondered where the rain had gone.

When she'd ran out of home, some drops were already falling, but when she'd seen the orange outline of the city, she hoped it would pour.

Still, nothing had happened. Focusing on speed, she figured she'd be at the Council in less than ten minutes. She also realized she'd be exhausted by the time she arrived, but she also knew she'd recover fast.

She had also seen many cars going in the exact same direction she was heading, and some decent drivers had pulled over and had tried to convince her to run the other way or to climb into the car and get to safety. She had politely smiled at them all and continued to run towards the city.

Annie wondered why the local PD and the fire department had not been able to control the flames. A shiver assaulted her and she thought maybe war had already started.

Yet, London was no stranger to fires. There was the big one of 1666, said to be caused because of a bakery, and the second time London had fallen prey to fire had been during WWII.

So immersed in her thoughts, she didn't notice the car behind her hitting her with the high beams. When the car honked, Annie leapt out of the way, but soon noticed the car was headed directly towards her. Annie thought about jumping away again, when the car's lights were turned off and it came to stop next to her.

The passenger's window slowly rolled down and Dawn's very pissed off face appeared. Annie quickly looked around, trying to find a viable escape route.

"Don't even think about it." Dawn said. Annie sighed and the darkened route behind her seemed far more attractive than climbing into a reduced space next to an angered Dawn Summers.

"Oh for Christ's sake, get inside the damn car!" Dawn said. Annie exhaled and slowly climbed inside. As she fastened the seatbelt, she frowned and looked around.

"When did you get a car?"

"Not important. Why did you run away?" Dawn interrupted. Annie smirked and looked at the backseat. A pink baseball hat was lying discarded in the backseat.

"My, my." Annie crossed her arms. "What are the odds that if I check the glove department, a pink slip with the name Timothy Turner will appear?"

"Shut up." Dawn said. "I, uh, borrowed it and we'll bring it back as soon as we reach the Council and make sure everything's ok."

Annie stared at her aunt, a smile growing in her face and thinking she hadn't heard correctly.

"Hey, it's a Mercedes SLR McLaren." Dawn winked at her niece. "19" asymmetric turbine wheels, bi-xenon twin headlamps, 7-speaker Bose sound system, leather seats, an AMG V-8 engine, over 600 in hp and goes from zero to sixty in under four seconds, what more do you want?"

"Never pegged you for a car lover." Annie said, impressed. "Or a car stealer, for the record."

Dawn laughed.

"Learnt a few things in my childhood." Dawn replied. "Didn't think I would let my old sister get all the fun, did you?"

------------------------

London, England

Ten blocks from Piccadilly Circus

December 2017

Sergeant Joe Hallenbeck had never seen anything like the things he was staring at.

He'd left New York years ago, looking for a better place to raise his daughter, only to find the same things on the other side of the ocean.

He constantly sighed, swearing his life was akin to an action film.

Yet nothing had prepared him for what lay ahead.

He remembered once seeing the film 'Nosferatu' with his daughter. The kid had laughed, claiming the makeup was horrible and a silent movie was incredibly boring. Joe had laughed and tried to explain what a great horror movie it had been in its time.

Now, Joe was lifting his gun and pointing it at what seemed like the vampire from that film.

"Bloody hell, is that thing for real?" One of his men asked.

Joe found himself unable to answer right away, so he simply shook his head. Life in New York and lately life in London had made him aware of all kinds of creatures living in the night. It had been quite a shock when he'd discovered vampires actually existed.

Most of the new recruits at his command had never understood why he asked them to sharpen their wooden sticks to a point. The more experienced ones, having survived many night shifts, understood the need to carry the sticks and a vial of holy water.

"This can't be happening." Another man said, taking steps back. Joe looked around and saw fear in his otherwise courageous men.

"Stand your ground, boys." He said. "You've seen this things before. The city is on fire and this things are keeping us from doing our jobs. Fire at will!"

Shotguns and pistols were discharged against the menacing turok hans, making them fall back because of impact. Joe quickly knelt before a fallen vampire and jammed the wooden stick into its chest.

He knew something was horribly wrong when the vampire didn't explode into dust and instead stood up and swatted him aside.

He flew fifteen feet into the air, to crash later through the windshield of a parked car.

Before he lost consciousness, Joe saw his men getting slaughtered and some others fleeing him away, leaving him alone before everything went dark.

End of chapter

**A/N 2:** Shadow of the vampire is the title of a really good movie distributed by Lion's Gate. Talks about the original b&w Nosferatu film. Stars Willem Dafoe and John Malkovich. Go see it.


	32. Swan Song

**Chapter 31**

**Swan Song**

**A/N:** Chapter thirty one of the series. In last chapter, I forgot to say the name Joe Hallenbeck comes from an early 90's movie named "The Last Boy Scout", starring Bruce Willis, Damon Wayans and a quite young Halle Berry. Damned good movie, although a bit violent and can teach new and interesting vocabulary to small children.

On another note, the Mercedes Benz McLaren SLR Dawn describes actually exists. A great car, and even though the story is set twelve years in the future, I guess there wouldn't be much changes done to such a cool car.

Said car belongs to a Timothy Thomas Turner, and as you all know, I enjoy watching the Fairly Oddparents, aired on Nicktoons.

**Disclaimer:** It all belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows. Original characters are mine.

**Feedback:** Sure, that'd be great.

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London, England

Ten blocks from Piccadilly Circus

Joe slowly regained consciousness.

His back hurting like a bitch, he managed to roll over and find a better position to pull himself out of the wrecked car. A sharp pain ran through his right arm and he knew there were bound to be a million tiny pieces of shattered glass imbedded in it.

He cursed, spat blood and finally found himself sitting inside the car. He rolled his neck and felt the bones crack and his back protest in the process.

Joe sighed, checked his firearm and stepped out of the car.

The sight to immediately greet him made him nauseous.

He'd been a police officer for over twenty years, and he'd seen the worst both NY and London could offer, but nothing could have prepared him for what he saw.

His men, those he'd trained since they had been little more than boys, had been brutally murdered.

He stared at the unrecognizable pieces of flesh that until that morning had been his friends, his unit. He felt something tug at his heart and couldn't help a tear to fall from his face.

He shook his head and focused on the problem at task. He would mourn them later and would cry with the parents and widows of those fallen around.

He limped back to his vehicle and could smell the fire in the air. The situation was desperate but he could also hear the sirens around, meaning the fire department was already working.

Then the memory of the strange vampires appeared on his mind again. He swore he'd jammed the stake on the vampire's heart; he was sure of it.

And yet, the vampire had not turned into dust and had gone off to slaughter his men.

At least he thought the remains on the ground were his friends. His family immediately flashed into his mind and panicked. He had to ask them to leave the city.

He took the radio and called central, hoping there was still someone there.

"Central here, identify yourself." The electronic voice said.

"Sergeant Joseph Hallenbeck, Alpha 1-0-3 speaking."

"Good to hear from you sarge! Thought you were a goner!" The voice said.

"Almost, what is going on?"

"Bad news, sarge, the whole city is under attack, and it doesn't look good."

"The whole city?"

"Yes, sir, four new fires began in the last ten minutes, all our units are out there and there have been some gruesome murders on the street."

"Vampires."

"Excuse me?"

"I said vampires, you know what those are."

"Uh, should you be saying that in an open line, sir?"

"It doesn't matter anymore, man! My whole unit was shredded to pieces and I bet many more victims will show up once the fires are contained!"

"With all respect, sir, but the higher powers are trying to keep this, uh, pest problem under cover, if you get my meaning."

"Dammit, these are not regular pest problems! They won't die with a stake!"

"Uh, come again, sir?"

"I said, wooden stakes do jackshit to these things, use the bigger guns!"

"Right, uh, what kind of bigger guns?"

"A bazooka, I don't know!" Joe took deep breaths and tried to regain calm. "Listen, please, contact my family and ask them to leave town."

"Sorry?"

"Please, ask them to leave town. Leave the whole island if it's possible."

"Right away sir, uh…"

"What?"

"Is it that ugly out there?"

"Uglier." Joe honestly said. "I don't know if the city will survive this."

-------------------------------

Dawn and Annie had fallen into a tense silence as they approached central London.

The columns of smoke rose high and the orange glow began outlining the city and even shone brighter than the lights. Annie turned to look at Dawn with worried eyes, a question held in her mouth.

"Don't worry, kid." Dawn said. "Bet your mother is in the middle of it all, but she's safe and kicking butt."

"Yeah, well, that's what worries me."

Dawn chuckled.

"She's been doing this since she was sixteen." She said. "She knows how to take care of herself. It's us who should know better and head back home."

"Not happening." Annie said. "My mum is there, fighting, honor demands I should be doing the same."

Dawn fell silent and stared at her niece. She wondered where the kid had gotten such a sense of honor and deep loyalty. She knew it wasn't from Angel, of that she was sure, and Buffy had begun to understand there was nothing more important than the mission, so it wasn't from there as well.

"Have you heard of Spike?" Dawn ventured. Annie turned her gaze back to her aunt's and nodded.

"William the Bloody." Annie replied. Dawn cringed as she heard the unflattering nickname.

"Anything else?" Dawn asked.

"The slayer of slayers." Annie continued. "Sired around 1880, killed a slayer in China at the turn of the twentieth century, and another one in New York, in 1977."

"That's it?"

"That's what the books say, why?"

Dawn again fell silent and cursed Buffy. It was because of Spike Annie had been able to be born and Buffy couldn't even talk to Annie about him.

"He was my friend." Dawn answered. Annie's eyes grew open.

"You knew him?" She asked, incredulous.

"A long time ago."

-----------------------------

Joe finally managed to remove the larger pieces of glass on his right arm.

Being left handed, all he really worried about was the blood loss. Discovering his unit still worked properly, he drove it and placed it in the middle of the street, hoping to stand in the way of any incoming cars stupid enough to want to go inside the circle of fire.

He also worried about the looters and the lowlifes ready to make a profit out of disgrace.

He loaded his shotgun and was about to go for another car when he heard the noise of a rapidly approaching vehicle. He stood in front of his car, facing the road, and waited.

Soon, a silver car appeared and the flames seemed to be reflected off it. Joe smirked and sighed.

'Boy, how many years in the force should I have to work to be able to buy that thing.'

Shaking his head, he carefully walked towards it, waving his arms and motioning for it to stop.

-------------------------------

"My God." Annie whispered.

Dawn felt the same way, but there were no words. The fires were even worse when they got closer to the center of the city and the flames and madness surrounded them.

Dawn carefully drove, avoiding running people, ashes falling from the sky, and two or three crazed individuals wanting to climb atop the car.

Dawn jammed the gas pedal and hoped to God no one would be stupid enough to get in their way.

Soon, there were no more people around, as the flames continue to grow.

Dawn turned left, very near the center of the fire, and noticed something in the middle of the street. Sighing, she once again pushed the gas and hoped every one and every thing got out of her way.

---------------------------------

Joe frowned, waving his arms in the air, but the vehicle did not seem to be slowing down. He prepared his shotgun, ready to fire a warning shot.

He began to get worried when the car was a few yards away, so he finally fired the warning.

---------------------------------

"Is he firing at us?" Dawn said, trying to see.

"Uh." Annie squinted her eyes. "That's a police officer."

"What?" Dawn shrieked, and jammed the breaks. The car's ceramic breaks pressed down and the 3000 lb. car halted almost immediately.

Sgt. Joe Hallenbeck screamed and jumped to the hood of his wrecked vehicle, avoiding the front of the car.

"Fucking hell, are you crazy!" He shouted, rolling off the tattered car. He pointed his gun at the vehicle and loaded it again.

"Step out of it!"

Inside the car, Dawn sighed and looked at Annie.

"What do you say?" She asked. Annie shrugged.

"We're still not bullet proof, and he is awfully close."

"Right." Dawn sighed again. "Let's see what he wants."

Both of them climbed out of the car, their hands held above their heads. Joe looked at Dawn and smiled, but he soon regained control of himself and pointed the shotgun at them.

"Are you two broads crazy?" He asked. "Were you trying to run me over?"

"Nope." Dawn said, smiling as well, having noticed the appreciative looks the officer sent her way. "Just want to go downtown."

"American." Joe said. "Aren't you a bit far from home?"

"You too, officer." Dawn said. "Look we have family there and we want to get there to them."

"Sorry, ladies, you should better take your car and leave town."

"I don't know if we made ourselves clear." Dawn repeated. "My family is in there, and we have to get to them."

"And I said, you are not going in, there are, uh, dangerous things in there."

Annie sighed, and stepped forward.

"Hey!" Joe said. "Hands up!"

"The dangerous things in there? They're named turok hans." Annie said. "They're vampires."

"No shit, kid, but you're still not going in there."

"There is fire everywhere." Annie said. "Fire kills vampires. They're not that stupid to stay behind where there's fire."

Joe's logic fell and tumbled in his brain, until what the young blond girl was saying made sense.

"Uh, you may be right, but there is no way in hell you're going in there." Joe said.

Annie shook her head, and in a quick movement, snatched the shotgun out of Joe's hand and threw it inside the car. Joe's eyes were as big as plates, and for a full ten seconds didn't know what had happened.

End of chapter.


	33. Great Balls of Fire

**Chapter 32**

**Great Balls of Fire**

**A/N:** Chapter thirty two of the series. Have it all outlined for the most part, but I'm still stuck. I may take a time figuring out how to write this thing. Characters are taking a life of their own and don't want to go where I want them to.

It's that or I'm losing focus on the story. Damn those day jobs and the exchange system in where we don't live if we don't receive a monetary reward in return for mindless hours of hard labor.

**Disclamer:** All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the show. Original characters are mine.

**Feedback:** Sure, that would help right now.

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London, England

The Watcher's Council

December 2017

"The whole city is under attack."

Xander spoke, still not believing the info relied to him.

"It doesn't make any sense." Giles said. "Why would the turok hans start fires?"

"For the sake of destruction itself?" Willow said.

"No, it doesn't seems rational." Giles replied. "Even to a mindless primitive vampire. They know fire is a way to kill them."

"I wouldn't be too worried about that right now." Wesley said, looking at the map in the screen. "When the fire begins to reach the gas pipes, then the real fun will begin."

"Good God, I hadn't thought of that." Giles said.

"Of course not." Wesley said. "You were all too worried about the turok hans that you forgot what kind of danger a fire presents."

"What was to be done, then?" Xander snapped. "Let the people of London burn to death?"

"The immediate threat is the fire, indeed." Wesley said. "But the slayers out there are itching for a fight. You have to ask them to instead help the fire department control the fire."

"Fire also kills slayers." Xander said.

"And the slayers can't feel the turok hans." Wesley countered. "Shouldn't they be fighting an enemy they can actually see?"

"He has a point." Willow said, sitting at her own station. After some quick math, she signaled the points where the fire first originated.

"This red dot marks the point where Jean was first attacked." Willow said. "The black dots mark the other reported fires, maybe if we send the slayers to the next logical targets…"

"They would find the turok hans and contain the fire." Xander finished.

"Could work." Giles said, turning to look at Wesley.

"Is still too dangerous." He said. "Would you send an blind antelope to stomp on a fire when a pride of lions is surrounding it?"

"Heavy metaphor, man." Xander said. "But we're open to suggestions."

"Then don't be fools." Wesley said. "Bring all the slayers back here. Lure the turok hans back to where the attack should take place."

"And let the city blow up in a big ball of fire?" Giles asked. "Wesley, I know you're looking at the big picture, but we don't work that way."

"And that's why Sunnydale is a big crater in California. Why there's this battle for Balance in the first place." Wesley said, walking up to Giles, looking down on him.

"It's all in numbers, Giles. If London blows up, then the turok hans will have no choice but to bring the battle here, where all our slayers would fight them." He pointed at the screen. "Two thirds or your slayers are running around with no direction. One third here is our last line of defense. If those two thirds fall out there, one third will not be enough."

He looked at the dots in the screen.

"Bring your slayers back." He said. "Illyria, Connor and I will try to stop the fires."

"What?" Xander and Connor said at the same time.

"Ilyria and I are the only ones who can actually feel the turok hans." Wesley said. "Connor is as strong as a slayer, Illyria is immune to fire and some other things."

He looked into Giles' eyes.

"One time, years ago, you let many people die because you wouldn't sacrifice one." Wesley said, pointing at Willow. "Now you're endangering the whole UK because you won't let a city burn. It's all in numbers, Giles."

He locked eyes with everyone else in the room.

"You don't care much for me, or Illyria." He said. "I promise I'll take care of Connor."

"Hey, I can take care of myself, thank you very much." Connor said.

"It's your call, Giles." Wesley said.

Giles remained in silence for tense seconds, before he made up his mind.

---------------------------

London, England

December 2017

"We should be focusing on the fires." Buffy said, her earpiece connecting her to Faith and all the slayers patrolling.

"What about the turok hans?" Faith's voice was heard.

"We can't feel them." Buffy said. "We're in danger out here."

"What do you suggest, then?"

"Very well, organize packs and have them help the fire department." Buffy said. "I want groups of ten, no more. If the turok hans attack, half of them will engage them in battle and the other five will perform evasive maneuvers."

"God, I just loooove it when you talk like that." Faith joked.

"Knock it off, Lehanne." Buffy said. "All of you, do it. If there are more than ten turok hans, then all of you must flee."

"Surely you can't be serious."

"Yes, I am. And don't call me Shirley."

Faith's laughter rang deep in Buffy's ears, and she allowed a smile to creep on her face.

"You all know what to do, so go."

Buffy stopped the Hummer Giles had ordered her to take. She parked it next to a hydrant and leapt out. She looked at a building on flames and instead shifted gears and ran over the hydrant. Water poured out of it without control as Buffy left the vehicle.

"All of you, take a quick bath." Buffy ordered her slayers. "Then we help."

Buffy was the first to leap into the pressured water coming out of the hole, and ran towards a parked pipe. She looked for the man in charge and soon located him.

"What are you doing here?" The fireman said. "Get the hell out of here!"

"We're here to help!" Buffy screamed over the sounds of sirens and water pressure. "Tell us what to do!"

"There's nothing to do!" the fireman replied. "You should all go away!"

Buffy sighed, fearing it would be a very long day.

---------------------------

Dublin, Ireland

December 2017

Angel stared at Drusilla, still not understanding what she was saying.

"Black and white together, singing, singing, while the stars cry and bleed."

Angel sighed, and decided he didn't have the time to listen to her ramblings.

"Look, Dru, I may have guilt issues for what I did to you, but I have to go now."

"You won't set me on fire before leaving me again?" She asked, still dancing.

Angel cringed. "That was years ago."

"And my skin still bubbles and cries." Dru continued. "You were so mean to grandmummy dearest."

"That's it, I'm out of here."

Angel turned around and began walking away.

"Doesn't it burn?" Dru asked. "Your skin?"

Angel stopped, feeling her words get to him.

"Doesn't the sun burn you anymore? Isn't it always hot inside of you?" She began singing. Angel felt the voice inside laugh again and he felt like a cornered animal.

"What do you know?" Angel said, walking back to her. "What have you seen?"

"I have seen my daddy." Dru sang. "I have seen him in chains, surrounded by dirty air and golden locks."

"For fuck's sake, Dru, get a grip!" Angel growled, grabbing Dru's arms and stopping her dance. "Tell me what you know!"

"I know your soul burns!" Dru whispered wickedly. "I know you hate the sun! I know you miss being my daddy!"

Angel stared into blue eyes, and he saw the truth in there.

"You don't know what you're talking about." He said, still not letting her go. "You're insane."

"Miss Edith said you'd say that." Dru whispered. "She said you'd try to knock some sense in me."

Angel shook his head.

"Miss Edith is a doll!" He snapped. "I'm not proud of what I did, but you're insane!"

"And you know daddy is still inside of you." Dru said, blue eyes turning golden. "And he wants to come out to play."

Without warning, she bit Angel's neck, hard.

End of Chapter


	34. When it Rains it Pours

**Chapter 33**

**When it Rains it Pours**

**A/N:** Chapter thirty three of the series.

**Disclaimer:** You all know this belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows. Original characters are mine.

**Feedback:** Sure.

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London, England

December 2017

"So, your mother is what, a vampire killer?"

Sgt. Joe Hallenbeck was still having trouble believing what the two ladies were telling him. Annie chuckled and turned around in her seat to look at the back of the car.

"She's a vampire slayer." Annie corrected. "Once every generation, bla bla, a girl is chosen to kill vampires and demons, bla bla, my mum is the latest slayer."

"Whoa." Joe said, scratching his head. "Who would have guessed."

"Actually, there are more than one slayer." Dawn suddenly said. "Fourteen years ago she shared her power with all potentials."

"Really?" Joe asked. "I'll be damned, fourteen years ago I moved to London and the crime rates dropped dramatically. I thought it was my good work."

"I'm sure you had something to do with it." Dawn said, but then she frowned when she saw his face through the rear view mirror. "You're accepting this too easy."

"I had a brother." Joe said. "Filthy bastard. Liked to gamble and robbed me three times. I actually put him in jail two times. Lousy son of a bitch, but he was my brother. I saw a vampire tear his throat apart."

Dawn shuddered and remembered the time she'd seen Buffy die.

"Uh, sorry." She said.

"Happened a long time ago." Joe said. "It's hard to realize all scary movies and comic books were right."

"Yeah, it sucks." Dawn said. "Unless you've known all your life, like snack size, here."

Annie smiled at her aunt and looked ahead.

"I still think you should have left." Joe said. "It's getting too dangerous in here."

"Once we reach the Council, all will be fine." Dawn said.

'If we get there.' Her mind added.

-------------------------

Four fires had been extinguished when a familiar voice was heard on Buffy's earpiece.

"Buffy, can you hear me?" Giles said.

"Sure thing, what is it?"

"I need you to get your slayers and get back here."

"What!"

"You heard me." Giles repeated. "Gather your slayers and bring them back here."

"Are you for real?" Buffy asked, looking for a place where she could hear better.

"Yes, Buffy, when you and the slayers are safe inside the Council, I'll explain."

"I'm sorry, but I think you're insane." Buffy said, not believing what she was hearing.

"I'm not insane, dear." Giles said. "There has been new developments."

"It doesn't matter!" She said. "People are dying out here!"

"And I don't want you to be one of those!" Giles finally screamed. "Listen to me, Wesley and Illyria are on their way out. The can actually sense the turok hans, so they won't be in as much danger as you and the slayers are!"

"But…"

"I don't want to hear another word, Buffy!" Giles continued to scream. "You are an adult, and that means choosing! I chose and I want you here now!"

Buffy was about to reply something equally rude, but the small part of her that viewed Giles as a father forced her to obey. She didn't answer, instead changed frequencies and addressed the slayers.

"This is Buffy Summers speaking to all active slayers." She said, her voice hesitant. "You are all ordered to report back to the Council as soon as possible."

"What?" Faith shouted over the link. "Have you gone completely carrot top?"

"These orders come from Giles." Buffy replied. "He believes the worst part is yet to come."

"And London?"

"Wesley and Illyria are already on it."

"Listen, B, you know I'm always there for you, but this time…"

The conversation was cut short when a turok han slammed a piece of concrete on Buffy's face, knocking her out.

------------------------

Buffy was certain she had not been out long.

When she opened her eyes, she was laying face first on the wet cement. She slowly knelt, only to feel dizzy and have to get down on all fours to stop the world from spinning.

Opening her eyes, she say a few drops of blood pouring right from her nose. She quickly checked her head, finding a nasty cut on her left side.

She cursed and hated the fact Wesley had been right. If they couldn't feel the turok hans, they were helpless against a surprise attack.

When she felt her world had stopped, she stood up and looked around. She noticed the burnt building and as she looked down, she saw the firemen that'd been helping her.

All dead; their necks broken.

Buffy felt anger bubbling inside and knelt besides one of them. She closed the eyes of the dead man and then decided Wesley had been completely right.

They weren't helping that much. Not when the vampires could sneak on them.

She prayed for the fallen heroes and was about to stand up when a shot was heard.

She turned around and her mind crashed when she heard the policeman's words shouted at her.

"Step away from him, miss, put your hands in the air and don't move!"

-----------------------------

"Buffy, are you still there?"

Faith had lost communication a few minutes ago, and she had already sent half the packs back to the Council. The other slayers were still fighting fires and standing guard to avoid being surprised.

Faith tried the commlink again and didn't like it when other three slayers didn't answer her page.

"Faith? Can you hear me?"

The voice was not clear and the slayer seemed short of breath.

"Yeah, who is this?" Faith replied.

"It's Rona, we're in a bit of a problem here."

"What happened?"

"Uh, we kinda ran into the police."

"And?"

The response came in the form of a gunshot heard over the link.

"God, Rona, are you all right?" Faith screamed.

"Yes, Faith, but the police thinks we had something to do with this!"

"What? Why?"

"Turok hans attacked again. They killed the firemen we were helping!"

'Shit.' Faith thought. 'Talk about being at the wrong place at the wrong time.'

"Let me guess, they believed it was you who killed the firemen."

"Yes! And we don't want to fight the local PD!"

"Dammit!" Faith slammed her hands on the hummer she'd been standing next to. "Try to outrun them, but stay together! I don't want you facing turok hans alone. If the PD gets you, they'll throw you in jail and go out to control the city again."

"I don't want to be arrested!" Rona said. "And the bullets are coming awfully close!"

"Where are you? I'll come and get you!"

Rona screamed her position as Faith climbed atop the driver's seat and sped off to pick her slayer sisters.

-------------------------------

Buffy stared in horror as a police officer placed the handcuffs on her hands.

She looked around and noticed the remaining officers pointing their guns at her. She realized she was scared for them as well as for her. She didn't care if they threw her in the back of a police car, she was more worried about the turok hans making a second pass and finishing everyone off.

The officer pulled her to her feet not too gently and she thought about warning them again. They had looked at her as if though she was completely bonkers, so she thought otherwise. She just hoped they would get out of there quickly.

The officers threw her to the back of the police car, as she had imagined it, and got inside the car. They began moving and Buffy sighed. She began to work on the handcuffs, not wanting to make too much noise when she snapped them.

Buffy was about to succeed when turok hans appeared in front of the police car. The officers couldn't believe what they were seeing.

"Step on it!" Buffy screamed. The officers looked back at her and frowned.

"What the hell is that?"

"It doesn't matter, run it over!"

"You may be a murdering lunatic but we're the good guys, miss!" The driver said. "Why are they wearing makeup?" He asked his partner.

"That's not makeup!" Buffy said, frantic as they approached the pack. "They're vampires! Have you never heard of them?"

"This one's as looney as Sgt. Hallenbeck." The driver said. "But she may have a point, they'll get out of the way."

The officer pushed the gas and they headed against the turok hans. The primitive vampires smelt their natural enemy inside the wheeled object, and instead of running away, they charged the vehicle.

"What are they…?"

"Don't stop!" Buffy screamed, snapping her handcuffs. "Don't you dare stop, or they'll kill us!"

"What?"

The distraction caused by Buffy sent them directly into four turok hans, running them over. Two vampires crashed to the side of the car, while the other two held on to the hood of the car.

Buffy grunted and began kicking the steel cage inside the car, but inside the small backseat, she couldn't get enough leverage to rip the cage open.

The driver screamed as one of the turok hans grabbed his wrist and snapped it like a twig. The other discharged his weapon on the turok han's chest, and only managed to upset the creature.

The first vampire gripped the wheel and ripped it off, sending the car tumbling into a wall.

Buffy assumed impact position and closed her eyes.

End of Chapter.


	35. Reign of Fire

**Chapter 34**

**Reign of Fire**

**A/N:** Chapter thirty four of the series.

**Disclaimer:** All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the show.

**Feedback:** Sure.

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London, England

December 2017

Dawn barely managed to avoid a police car heading directly to them.

She jammed the brakes and turned the wheel left, and Annie could see the other car take the mirror off her side of the car.

In a moment of slow motioned horror, Annie saw her mother's face grinding her teeth on the back seat of the out of control car.

Seconds later, the police car smashed into the side of a stone building.

"What the hell was that?" Dawn asked as the car finally stopped.

"Mum." Annie whispered.

"What?"

Annie turned and stared at her aunt.

"Mum was in that car." She said, before quickly leaping out of the car.

"Annie! Wait!" Dawn said. She didn't even bother to turn off the car, she merely leapt out of it. Joe also leapt from the back seat, in order to shift gears and properly park the car. He looked up and saw the two girls running towards the trashed vehicle.

'Don't think anyone can walk out of that.' He sadly thought, and hoped the kid's mother really wasn't in that car.

Annie quickly reached the wreck site, and finally noticed the two mangled bodies of what once was a turok han. She turned to the back seat and noticed her mother, curled up in a ball, but thankfully still breathing.

Annie sighed in relief and went to try to rip off the door.

"Annie, how is she?" Dawn asked, catching up with her niece. Annie struggled to open the door, bent oddly because of the impact.

"I don't know, but she's still breathing." Annie said, the strain visible in her face.

"All right ladies, step aside." Joe said. He peeked inside the trashed window and recoiled at seeing the almost unrecognizable four bodies in the front seat.

He closed his eyes and focused back on the small blonde girl in the backseat.

"Somebody you knew?" Dawn asked, seeing his face.

"Don't want to see their faces." He honestly replied. "Have seen too many friends die today. Too many widows to call tomorrow."

Dawn nodded, feeling sorry for all those who'd died today.

"Hey, you two have been lying to me." Joe said, half his body inside the car and half hanging out. Dawn and Annie looked at each other, confused.

"What?"

"I may be a cop, but I'm not stupid." He said, his feet comically moving from side to side. "This girl here is way too young to have a kid your age."

"Well, that depends on how old do you think I am and how old mum looks." Annie said, smiling.

"Ok, let's try again." He jumped out of the car, and began pulling the door.

"Here, let me help you." Annie said.

"Careful, there's lots of shattered glass around."

Dawn joined them and the three began to pull the door away. Annie used all her strength and soon they managed to open the back door. Annie immediately rushed inside to check on her mother.

"Ok, now, spill, what's the real deal?" Joe asked.

Dawn chuckled.

"We've been telling you the truth." She replied. "That girl helping her mother is fourteen years old. The girl being helped by her daughter is actually thirty six years old."

"And you?"

"Take a guess?"

"Oh no, I'm not falling for that one."

"Come on."

"Fine, twenty four."

"Really, do I look like a twenty four?"

Joe laughed.

"If I told you what you looked like you'd slap me."

Dawn laughed.

"It's the legs, right?"

"Uh, are you even legal?"

"Oh yeah."

"Then it's the legs, the face and everything in between."

"Wow, an honest response."

"I am not a boy."

"So it seems."

"Then? Was I right?"

"Nope. Try on thirty."

"What? Really?"

"Yeah, I'm from the past century."

They were distracted from their easy banter when Buffy coughed up behind them.

"Uh, shouldn't we check your sister?"

"Nah." Dawn said. "It was just a car crash."

"Just a car crash?"

"Would you believe me if I told you she has survived worse?"

"Then I'd say you're pulling my leg."

"Oh, no. Cross my heart."

Another cough brought their attention back to Buffy. She was slowly getting out of the car.

"What? How?" Joe was shocked out of the seemingly easy way Buffy was standing on her two feet.

"Told ya." Dawn said, as she quickly went to check her sister.

"Hiya Buff." She said.

"What are you doing here?" Buffy asked, getting blood off her eyes.

"Thought we'd be safer inside the Council." Dawn replied.

"It's my fault, mum." Annie said. "I ran out of the house."

"I'll deem whose fault it is later on." Buffy said, tying her hair back in a ponytail. "We have to get to the Council, now."

"Uh, miss, I mean, ma'am, are you ok?" Joe asked. Buffy frowned and looked at the two girls.

"Who is this?" She asked.

"I'm Sgt. Joe Hallenbeck, ma'am." Joe said. "And I must ask, why are you wearing handcuffs?"

-----------------------------

Faith couldn't find Rona where she'd said she'd be.

She could swear she had only lasted four minutes since she received the call and when she'd stopped the Hummer in the corner where Rona was supposed to be.

Feeling anxious, she began calling Rona on the commlink.

Receiving no answer, she began doubting about what to do. She considered looking around, driving in circles until she found the slayers. She was about to drive off when she spotted the slayers running towards her, two slayers on their arms.

'Fuck!' She thought. 'Fuck fuck fuck fuck!'

She couldn't believe her eyes, six slayers were carrying two sisters covered in blood. Faith leapt out of the vehicle and opened the back doors. She ushered the slayers back in and turned around, two other slayers missing.

"Rona, where are the other two?" She frantically asked. Rona only looked at her through watered eyes and the truth became painfully evident.

Faith wasted no time, leapt inside the Hummer and skidded away. She turned to look at the wounded slayers and found no bruises in them.

"What happened?" Faith asked. "The turok hans got to you?"

"No." Rona shook her head. "The police got to us."

-------------------------------

"Oh, it's a funny story." Buffy stuttered.

Dawn narrowed her eyes and Annie didn't know what to say.

"Because I know it doesn't look to good to be coming out of a, uh, police car with handcuffs and two dead officers in the front seat, so, uhm…"

"It's cool, mum." Annie said. "He know about vampires."

"Really?" Buffy asked.

"Worked night shifts for over twenty years." Joe said. "Now, could you please tell me why you were handcuffed?"

"See those ugly remains already burning up?" Buffy pointed to the front of the shattered car. Joe nodded.

"Those are very strong vampires." She continued. "They attacked and me and some other friends tried to stop them. They attacked by surprise and they killed the fire fighters we were helping. The officers appeared and misunderstood everything."

"Right." Joe said, still not very convinced. Buffy sighed.

"Look at the cuffs." Buffy said. "They're torn, all right? I broke them apart."

"Ok, ok." Joe said. "Fair enough. It may be the concussion speaking, but I believe you. What is still not clear to me is what is the Council you keep talking about."

"Can we pull the national security card on you?" Buffy asked. Joe looked around and frowned.

"Since the nation is going down in flames, I'd say no."

"Ok, we are the only thing that could prevent this city from going up in flames."

A distinct noise was heard in the background and Annie picked up on it. She let the adults discuss their different points of view and sought the noise. Coming from the car, she kneeled inside and discovered her mother's earpiece, still working.

"Uh, mum?" She asked out loud. "There's someone looking for you."

Buffy turned around and quickly took the earpiece from Annie's hands. Placing it in her ear, she listened to the words and blanched.

"Dawn, I need you to take Annie back home. It's not a question, not a request, and it's not up to discussion." She said. Annie was about to speak when Buffy cut her with a cold stare. "I don't want a sound out of your mouth. You two will leave this place right this moment."

"What happened?" Dawn asked.

"Faith called." Buffy said, looking for a means of transportation.

"The local PD has killed two slayers."

End of Chapter


	36. In the Line of Duty

**Chapter 35**

**In the Line of Duty**

**A/N: **Chapter thirty five of the series. I will try to post most chapters this week, but I will probably won't post another one till next year. Thankfully, I have a whole week worth of free time (meaning a break from work, finally) and there's that small event we all like to call Christmas.

Thanks to all who are still reading this, and I wish you a merry Christmas. See you in 2006.

**Disclaimer:** All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the show.

**Feedback:** Sure.

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London, England

December 2017

Wesley walked through fire, hoping it would cleanse his body.

Illyria walked next to him, frowning every time her companion would engage in dangerous activities. She always hated when he placed himself in unnecessary risk, remembering clearly the time she had witnessed his body ceasing to function.

She shook her head, hating how with each passing day, she grew more concerned for the sake of a mortal who would get killed too soon or would succumb to time.

Connor ran through the fire as well, his face and hands covered with his jacket.

"What are you, crazy?" He said as he caught up with them.

"There was no other way to cross that street." Wesley replied. "Fire doesn't seem to do much damage to me. Illyria is impervious to it, and I knew you'd find a way to get through."

"You're fucking nuts, man." Connor said. "Get that death wish of yours in check, or else all England will explode."

Wesley chuckled and spread his arms.

"London is already exploding!" He said. "Look around! There's fire everywhere! People are fleeing the city like rats flee a sinking boat!" He stopped walking and turned to see Connor.

"You, more than everyone else, know what hell looks like." Wesley continued. "You must remember Quor'toth, even if your memories were tampered with."

"What has that got to do with this?" Connor asked.

"That you understand." Wesley said. "You know as well as I do that London is already lost. They caught us by surprise, just like they wanted to."

"We can still save the city." Connor said.

"Didn't you hear anything in the meetings?" Wesley said, walking again. "We can't win. Balance is torn and there's no point in fighting. The slayers are more concerned with saving a doomed city than remembering what will happen if Balance is not restored."

"One city against the world?" Connor asked.

"It's all about numbers." Wesley repeated the same words he'd said to Giles. "A million people versus six billion? It's an obvious choice."

"It's not what heroes do." Connor said. Wesley stopped again and remembered something, thirteen years ago.

'I walk with heroes.'

He turned and the coldness in his eyes made even Connor pause.

"We are not heroes, Connor:" He said. "We are murderers, the three of us."

The three kept walking, this time in complete silence.

---------------------------

"They did what?"

Dawn thought she hadn't heard correctly. Buffy was pacing around like a caged animal, a fury in her eyes she had not expressed for ages.

"I said the police shot two slayers." Buffy repeated, her hands clenching and unclenching at her sides. "God, what is wrong with them?"

"I said, do not shoot civilians!"

They turned around and saw Joe talking to his radio. His face was distorted with anger and whomever was on the other side of the line was receiving hell.

"I don't care what they're seeing, what is happening is not because of civilians!" He shouted. "For God's sake, you've lived in this city for ten years, Lisa! You know the stories are true!"

"You can't be serious, Joe." The electronic voice replied. "Vampires don't exist."

"Then the thing that killed my brother was what?"

"A lunatic, we all know that."

"You have always been a stupid know it all, Lisa Simpson, but don't presume to know what is going on now." Joe said, feeling his anger slipping out of his control. "Don't shoot another civilian, I don't care what is going on, they're not to blame."

"Is that an order?"

"Of course it's an order, I'm still your superior!"

"Then I will blame this city's destruction on you!"

"Blame it on me, godammit! But I want an order issued that the next officer who shoots a civilian will be put in jail!"

"Who will enforce that call?"

"I will if I have to, you stuck up bitch, now do as I say!"

Joe cursed a bit more and waited. He counted from ten to one, and when he'd reached four, his radio buzzed to life.

"Sergeant Hallenbeck, can you hear me?" Came a fine, polished voice with a higher class accent.

"Yes, Superintendent Chalmers." Joe answered, sighing.

"Officer Simpson has paged me not ten seconds ago, Sgt., claiming you issued a statement of cease fire, is that correct?" The voice said.

"Yes sir."

"And may I ask why? In case you haven't noticed, the city is on fire, there are riots everywhere, reports of vicious fictional creatures and vigilantism. So, could you be so kind to tell me why are you ordering my men to stand down?" The man finished with a scream, and Joe sighed again.

"With all due respect sir, but you're safe in your comfy chair, and my men and I are busting our asses in this city, and when I tell you vampires are the ones ripping our men's faces off, I expect you to believe me!" Joe shouted again.

The match continued for tense minutes, as the three women stared at Joe, unsure of why he was trying to help them.

"It comes to this, Sgt., if you don't stand down and let my men do their jobs, it is you who will be placed under arrest!" Superintendent Chalmers said. Joe barked a laugh.

"Why don't you come out and do it yourself, your highness?" Joe sarcastically said. "Maybe if you see what is really going on you'll stop shooting innocent girls!"

"Need I to remind you this is an open channel, Sergeant?"

"No need, sir." Joe said, smiling. "So maybe you'll want to explain why I saw officers shoot down innocent girls who were trying to help."

The line went dead and Joe smiled again.

"Let's see how that helps your reelection, sir." He said to the radio. "Now, you should think about your voters, and specially those innocent girls. Order your men to stop firing at humans."

"If I go down, you'll go down with me, Hallenbeck." The voice said.

"You should try to see outside your office, sir." Joe replied. "The city's already going down. You should worry about that."

"Very well, Hallenbeck, but I'll blame all of this on you."

The line once again went dead and Joe realized he'd thrown twenty five years of a clean career down the toilet.

"You shouldn't have done that." Buffy said. Joe shook his head and took out the keys to his pair of handcuffs.

"Never liked that bastard." He said. "We were once friends, but he enjoyed licking ass. Not my style."

He grabbed Buffy's hands and soon they were free of the cuffs.

"I do believe you should be looking for another job." Dawn said.

Joe chuckled.

"Nah, there's still some good guys in the force, speaking of which." He took the radio and switched to an open wavelength.

"This is Sergeant Joseph Hallenbeck, speaking from the middle of what used to be Piccadilly Circus." He said. "Those who've worked with me know I don't speak bullshit, so I want you all to hear me now."

He looked around and saw the flames reaching the sky.

"I am not English, or British or however you want to call yourselves. I was born in New York and I will always love it. But I've learnt to love the UK. My daughter grew up in here and I had another kid in here. This city saved my marriage and I met a lot of friends here."

He looked at the three women in front of him and smiled at them.

"Those of us who have worked night shifts, this comes as no surprise." He sighed again and looked up. "I am throwing my career away, but you all know those things are vampires. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, vampires. But not the regular kind. These fuckers won't die with a stake through the heart. They are tough, these ones, and there are people helping us.

"There will be girls helping others, incredible girls who know how to get rid of these super vamps. You may think I'm crazy but don't cut connection. Hear me out. They can help. They are helping us. I ask of you to stop shooting civilians. I know things are awful, and we've lost so much, but they can help. I have seen it with my own eyes.

"So I ask of you, let them help you. If you're wondering how you will recognize them, I have someone who will help you." Joe looked at Buffy and handed her the radio. She looked at it and then at the others.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" She asked.

"Tell them how they will recognize your girls." Joe said. Buffy thought about it for a few seconds, when Dawn tapped her shoulder.

"Remember that movie mom didn't want us to see?" She said. "With Tom Hanks? 'Saving Private Ryan'?"

Buffy stared at her sister, as her mind processed the information. She smiled and took the radio.

"I don't know who is hearing this, but what Sgt. Hallenbeck said is true." Buffy began. "I am not lying, you have seen the things out there. They are called Turok hans, and are primitive vampires, far stronger than the average.

"I swear to God I am not lying. There are friends of mine helping, and what Sgt, Hallenbeck said is true. Please don't shoot them. They are here to help you. And I must warn you, my girls are trained and are as strong as the vampires. They will help, but they will also defend themselves if they have to."

Buffy placed on her earpiece and talked to it.

"I will not say my name in an open channel, but you all know who I am."

Her voice was heard over countless radios and all the slayers looked up as they heard their leader's voice.

"The local PD has killed two of my girls. We respect their jurisdiction, but we will defend ourselves. The city is on the brink of destruction and we have to work together. I hope you'll understand and work with us."

Joe nodded, giving her the thumbs up.

"Friends will scream 'Flash.'" She looked at Dawn and smiled.

"And friends will answer 'Thunder'."

End of Chapter

A/N 2: Yeah, I loved 'Saving Private Ryan', same as 'Black Hawk Down' and the mega cool 'Band of Brothers.' Of course, Officer Lisa Simpson is based on the middle sister on The Simpsons. Greatest show of all time, but Lisa has always been the worst character.


	37. Tremors

**Chapter 36**

**Tremors**

**A/N:** Chapter thirty six of the series. As I was going over the story, I discovered I made some editorial mistakes. Since I don't have a beta reader (and don't want one, thank you very much) I didn't realize I had described the new Council's building as being only five stories tall and three levels below ground level. In later chapters I mentioned a sixth floor and a fourth sub level. I apologize for the mistake to all of you who noticed it.

Looks like I managed to slip one more before Christmas. Maybe I'll be able to post some others.

**Disclaimer:** All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the show.

**Feedback:** Sure.

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London, England

December 2017

Giles took off his earpiece and realized Buffy wouldn't go back.

He hoped the PD would listen and wouldn't shoot down any more slayers. He knew Buffy and her girls wouldn't retaliate, but Faith, Wesley, Illyria and Connor were something else.

If the police shot any of them, they would answer with equally deadly force.

He ran his hands through his hair. They were over their heads with the fire of the city, and they had yet to confront the turok hans.

And from what Buffy had described, the vampires were merely part of a larger army.

He stared at the virtual map in the end of the wall, and he stood up and walked to it. Xander and Willow stepped next to him, uncertain of what was happening.

"The local PD has killed two slayers." Giles said. Willow and Xander hung their heads, already aware of the fact. "The city is slowly being consumed by fire. Ordinarily, the authorities would have already contained it, but they're falling like flies at the hands of the turok hans."

"Do you think they'll listen to Buffy?" Willow asked.

"I don't know." Giles replied. "Fortunately, half of the slayers out there have already returned."

"But they are itching to go out there again." Xander said. "Specially after hearing Buffy speak."

"We can't let them go." Giles said. "What Wesley said was true. The slayers are fighting three deadly enemies out there. The fire kills them, they can't feel the turok hans, and the frightened officers are shooting them as well."

"But the city…"

"I know." Giles said, cutting Willow's words. "Wesley is already on his way."

"The three of them against an army of turok hans?" Willow asked.

"Do you remember what Illyria did on the alley?" He answered. "She can fight them better than most of us."

"Which means we'll have to trust the survival of the city to three loose cannons." Xander stated.

For once, neither Willow nor Giles could answer to that.

-----------------------

"Aren't you coming?"

Buffy, Dawn and Annie were already aboard the stolen Mercedes, but Joe was still standing in the middle of the burning street. He looked at them, then turned around and noticed people were still running around.

"I can't leave them." He said. The three women frowned.

"It's not safe here." Dawn said.

"Precisely." Joe replied. "There's still people out here. Maybe they can't get out, or maybe there's other people as crazy as you trying to get inside."

He checked his weapons, and smiled at them.

"I have to stay here and form a perimeter." He said. "I have to keep the remaining citizens safe."

"You could do that from the Council." Annie said, poking her head out of the window. Joe smiled and ruffled her hair.

"Then I wouldn't be any different from that Superintendent jerk, wouldn't I?" He said. Dawn was about to reply when Buffy placed her hand on her shoulder.

"Are you sure?" Buffy asked. Joe loaded his weapons and smiled.

"Of course."

The three women said nothing else, they just looked at him. Buffy extended her right hand, as she held Joe's gaze. He nodded again and shook her hand.

"Good luck, sergeant."

"Same to you."

The three women sped away, leaving behind one of the few remaining good cops in the city.

-----------------------

"We can't leave him behind."

Annie said, looking from her position in the backseat at the rapidly disappearing figure in the distance.

"It was his decision." Buffy said, jamming her foot on the gas.

"It's my decision to fight with you, and you won't let me." Annie said, sulking in her seat.

"Hello? You're fourteen, Joe must be in his forties or fifties." Buffy replied. "Besides, what he said was true. It's what we should be doing."

"He's going to get himself killed." Dawn whispered.

"Let's hope not." Buffy whispered back. "He knows what he's doing."

"He's no match to a turok han."

"He'll make it." Buffy continued. "That's not what's worries me now."

"Wow, insensitive much?"

"Not like that, the chaos must be visible to the whole island now." Buffy said. "What I'm worried about is the army's reaction to this."

"What?"

"Think about it. The locals can't handle the situation, and are now even shooting civilians, it's a matter of time before the Queen or the Prime Minister authorizes the army to march in and take control."

"Didn't think of that." Dawn admitted.

"Well, we had never been in such a chaotic mess before." Buffy continued. "Now the city is two minutes from exploding and I don't know what is going to happen."

"I can hear you even if you whisper, y'know." Annie said. Dawn chuckled and Buffy shook her head.

"What's all this about the army getting in?" Annie asked.

"It's a logical step, dear." Buffy replied. "The police can't fight the vampires, and we are not helping much."

"Who were the slayers shot?" Annie asked. Buffy sighed and looked ahead. The road was awful and she feared the temperature would increase and a telephone post would fall on them.

"Mum?"

"They were from Faith's pack." Buffy finally replied. "Don't know their names yet."

"That's three this month." Dawn said.

"That hadn't happened since World War II." Buffy said. "Seventy three years."

"Oh." Annie whispered. "That sucks."

"Big time."

----------------------------------

London, England

The Watcher's Council

December 2017

Fortunately, the Council and the surrounding areas had not been affected by the flames, and it seemed the turok hans were focusing their attack on the rest of the city.

Giles looked at the map of the city, and noticed the fire reports had diminished. He exhaled in relief when he saw Buffy, Dawn and Annie step inside his office.

"Thank God you're here." He said, and smiled when Annie ran to greet him.

"Hi grandpa." She said as she kissed his cheek.

"Oh, dear, you should have stayed back home." Giles said.

"See?" Buffy said. "But you never listen."

"I wanted to be here, with you." Annie replied.

"Seems we are safe here." Xander said, sting in his station. "There have been no new fire reports."

"Looks like Wesley had a point." Willow said. "The attacks went down as soon as most of the slayers returned home."

"Dammit." Buffy said. "I hate it when Wesley is right."

"He's right most of the time." Giles said. "He has a rational mind."

"And how many people out there are dying because of his rational thoughts?" Buffy countered.

"It would seem less than when you were out there." Xander replied. "There has been no fire report in the past five minutes."

"Swell." Buffy said. "I was fearing things would spin madly out of control and the army would sweep the streets."

"Thought of that one too." Giles said. "In fact, we received some info regarding the soldiers actually getting ready to get inside the city."

"And?"

"It's election year." Giles replied. "And the Superintendent of police wouldn't want the PD to admit defeat and ask for the army's help."

"Great." Buffy said. "What's the status on the turok hans?"

"Wesley is yet to report what he's found." Giles said. "If you look at the screen, he's far away from the Council, meaning the turok hans are away as well."

"We'll have to focus on trying to find them." Buffy said. "Have you learnt anything about why we can't feel them?"

"I'm already on it." Willow replied, sitting in her own station. "If there were magic, I would feel it. I can't sense any spell, but there is something in them."

"Weird enough, considering Wesley and Illyria can feel them." Xander said.

"Isn't that creepy?" Dawn asked.  
"You have no idea." Xander replied. "Don't know why they can, and no one else did."

"It probably has to do with Wesley's dual nature." Giles said. "And Illyria has always been able to feel supernatural beings."

"How sad it is they're the only ones who can fight back." Buffy said.

"We can only wait now." Giles said. "Let's hope he was completely right and the turok hans will center their attack here."

"Again, how sad it is we want the ubervamps to come attack us home?" Buffy repeated.

"That way we stand a chance." Giles said. "We'll focus their attack here and won't let them…"

Giles' words were cut short as a massive earthquake hit London.

End of Chapter


	38. Days of Thunder

**Chapter 37**

**Days of Thunder**

**A/N:** Chapter thirty-seven of the series. A huge apology for the delay, but this new year came with lots of more work and some well deserved hiatus sponsored by some old friends of mine visiting.

Here is a new chapter and a long one it is. If there is anyone out there still reading this or waiting for more chapters let me know. I will finish this story and I hope it will be faster than the previous ones.

**Disclaimer:** All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows. Original characters are mine.

**Feedback:** Sure, that's be great.

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London, England

The Watcher's Council

December 2017

The earthquake hit harder than any other before in London's history, as everyone inside the Council felt. As the destruction began, Giles was flung into his desk and slammed on it, losing consciousness in the midst of it all.

----------------------

Giles' mind returned in time and replayed one event displayed privately when the others in his office where more busy looking at the screen. A blink on his personal battle station appeared and he knew it was an urgent matter, for very few people had access to his station.

He'd sat on it and placed on the set of headphones from Xander's station, not wanting anyone to hear what was about to happen. He frowned when Xander turned around, knowing he very well couldn't hide anything from his son, but he didn't care anymore if the boy heard.

The image soon appeared and a man well over his sixties appeared, his face not kind and a bead of sweat already on his forehead.

"General." Giles said as soft as he could, and breathed easier when he saw Xander didn't turn around.

"Rupert." General Ross replied as he signed something on a board that was handed to him off screen.

"Glad you finally noticed our silent page." General Ross frowned. "I believe you know what is going to happen now."

"How much time do we have?" Giles asked, his voice revealing his exhausted state.

"Not much." The man seen in the locator screen replied. "The existence of supernatural hostiles has been leaked, and the situation is quite dire, as you already know."

"My people is already on it." Giles said.

"That's even worse." The general said back. "There was an open channel conversation between a local policeman and his superior discussing the actual existence of vampires. Later on, the voice of Mrs. Elizabeth Summers was heard on the same wavelength, encouraging the authorities to work along in order to defeat the turok hans."

"Her name's Buffy."

"I don't care if her name is Betty, Rupert." General Ross coldly said. "Your slayers are going public, and you and I agreed to keep them undercover. Many districts of London are on fire and several explosions have erupted throughout the city. I heard some unidentified civilians fell to police fire, and several officers have been brutally murdered because of the fucking vampires. You know what is going to happen."

"I need more time."

"There's no time, Rupert." The general said, sighing. "You know as well as I do that we will have to take charge."

"We had a deal."

"Yes, but you and I knew such agreement wouldn't be useful in times of war."

"Is that what this is?"

"Open your eyes, Rupert, if the threat is not contained it's quite likely it will soon move over to the rest of the continent." General Ross rubbed his eyes. "I don't want that to happen. London may already be lost, but I won't let the rest of the UK to burn, or the rest of Europe."

Giles sighed and shook his head.

"How much time do we have?"

"I've already spoken with the prime minister." The general answered. "There's a bit of resistance from the local authorities, but it's only a matter of time till he declares a state of martial law."

"How much?" Giles repeated.

"I do believe it will happen in the next two hours. Could be less."

"I won't be able to get all my people inside."

"I know. We'll use rubber bullets the first ten minutes, Rupert, out of respect for you."

"Infantry?"

"That wouldn't be useful at all, would it?" General Ross said. "We're going in with the RAF."

"What?"

"Three simultaneous strikes, Rupert. The first one will be several assault teams going in with TAV's, second wave will be the RAF showering the city with rubber bullets, making all human hostiles go down, twelve minutes later, the RAF will engage the last assault."

"What will it be?"

"Napalm. Lots of it."

"You can't be serious."

"I've always been serious, my old friend." The general said. "You have two hours to get your slayers and watchers back inside the safety of the council. After that, we'll take over."

"Very well." Giles said, slouching back on his chair.

"Two hours, Rupert. I'd advise you to get your people back inside in less than half an hour."

"Right." Giles whispered.

"Good night, Rupert."

"Good night, General."

-------------------

The slayers already relocated within the Council scrambled for cover wherever they could find it. The entire building shook as if it were inside a gigantic blender, barely withstanding the force of it.

Tense minutes went by, the windows exploded and the electricity failed as the tremor reached its climax and suddenly stopped.

Everyone in Giles' office took a few moments before daring to stand up and check on each other. Xander stood still, crouched on the floor, waiting to hear or smell something out of the ordinary as he checked his father's head. Giles slowly came back and blinked twice before he remembered what was happening.

"Is everybody all right?" Giles asked, coughing behind his desk. All replied positively and he focused his sight on his son's tense body.

"Anything?" Giles asked, and Xander knew the question was directed at him.

"There's no gas leaks." He replied. "Can't hear much because of the noise, but I hear strong heartbeats throughout the building. Can't smell any blood."

"Good, the back up power should activate any minute now."

"Something's wrong." Xander suddenly said. "I am hearing things I didn't before."

"He's right." Willow said, standing up and brushing her clothes. "I can feel something different in the environment."

"Good or bad?" Giles asked.

"Do you even have to ask?"

"Right, on a scale, how bad?"

"About three thousand and four."

"In a scale of one to ten?"

"Yup."

"Not good then."

"Giles, are you allright?" Buffy's voice was heard.

"A little shaken up, but still alive, you?"

"We're ok, do you know what happened?"

"An earthquake, dear."

"Well, duh, but is there a reason why there should be a damn earthquake right now?"

"Probably a side effect caused by the very existence of the turok hans."

"Not reassuring."

"I didn't mean to be reassuring."

"Wow, you sure do sound grim right now, what happened?"

Giles scratched his head and knew he had to rely what he'd discussed with General Ross a few minutes ago. He looked at everyone inside his office and coughed to get everyone's attention.

"The army is two hours from entering the conflict."

Even those who weren't actually looking at him turned their heads and several expletives were muttered.

"Shit." Buffy ran her hands through her hair.

"Precisely."

"Wait, how do you know that?"

"Have some connections." Giles said, and ignored the way Xander's head was tilting to the side.

"Cryptic. Why do we have two hours?"

"Something to do with the prime minister and the superintendent."

"The PD doesn't want the army playing with their toys, I presume."

"You presume correctly. When martial law is declared, the superintendent will most likely lose his job."

"And?"

"We have to do something, immediately."

"I'm on it."

Giles nodded and frowned when the electricity kept blinking above them.

"Is that supposed to be doing that?" Willow asked.

"Doing what?" Xander asked as well.

"Seems like our power plant was damaged as well." Giles replied. "Without electricity we'll be an easy target inside."

"We have to get out of here." Xander said, clear and strong.

Giles paid attention to Xander's quickly standing form. "What did you say?"

"We have to get out of here. It's not safe anymore." Xander repeated, as he quickly helped Willow to her feet.

"What is going on?"

"Heard something else." Xander said, ushering everyone out of the office. Giles struggled to move as quickly as his son requested, no lights around to see where he was going.

Willow's cell suddenly rang and she fumbled a bit with it before opening it and listening. She went paler than before and shouted to get everyone's attention.

"What now?" Buffy asked.

"The slayers called and said a large crack had appeared on SL4, they said something was moving down there."

"What?" Both Willow and Giles asked out loud.

"Seems we have a slight pest problem."

-------------------

Buffy looked at her daughter and at her sister. They nodded and without any word, they turned around and looked outside the window.

"We won't get very far with those things closing in on us." Dawn noted as she saw a dozen turok hans approaching the building.

"And is it the right thing to do?" Annie asked.

"Seems like it." Buffy replied. "Like your grandfather said, dear, without electricity we'd be caught inside."

"Meaning?"

"Imagine all the slayers and all of us running wildly in the cramped stairs." Buffy said. "Turok hans coming from beneath and locking us all in the upper levels."

"We could be safer here." Dawn also said.

"Don't think so." Buffy shook her head. "Remember what Giles said. The army will pull the kiddie gloves off and will strike with all their strength."

"Looks like we'll have to clear an escape path." Dawn said. "Thinking of something?"

Buffy looked outside the window again and remained in silence for some seconds.

"We could fight our way out." She said. "But we would be wasting precious time."

She suddenly thought of something and looked at the two women besides her.

"If I asked you to stay behind you wouldn't do it, right?" Buffy asked her daughter. Annie smirked and crossed her arms.

"Thought so." The slayer replied. She looked at her sister and didn't even had to repeat the question when Dawn mimicked Annie's actions.

"God, I must be crazy, but come along, I've got a plan."

She quickly walked to the door and stood there.

"Everyone! I have a plan!" She shouted. "Since there are still slayers out there and we'll have to go down and lock ourselves in one of the two sub levels, we're going to clear a path so we can get there safely."

"Uh, remember the other turok hans below?" Xander said. "We'll have to leave this place before it becomes a giant trap."

"I don't think that's the wisest course of action." Buffy replied. "Can't lose much time, but I believe we should lock ourselves in Sub Level 1 and fight from there."

"What?"

"It's close enough to the surface to escape and far enough from the other sublevels to organize a fight against whatever may come out of there." She revealed.

Xander was about to protest when Giles spoke instead.

"It's a good option." He said, placing his hand on his son's shoulder to ease him. "Since I don't think we'll be able to leave the city before the army sprays us with napalm…"

Several yelps and 'what's' were heard and Giles hushed them all with a motion of his hand.

"Yes, I said napalm, our main concern now is to get all slayers back here, bring as many civilians as we can find on the streets and camp on SL1, to present a more organized battle front from there."

"Have Faith on the link." Willow suddenly said. "Since you were so busy making plans, I thought it'd be best if she knew what is going on."

"Good, put her on speaker, please." Giles said. A sharp static was heard and then the quick breaths of Faith were heard.

"Faith? Where are you?" Giles asked.

"A few blocks from the Council." She replied. "Fortunately, the policemen have stopped shooting at us!"

"Well, we have a more immediate problem." Buffy said. "The Council is being surrounded by quite a lot of turok hans, and the earthquake just sent our electrical system to hell."

"What earthquake?" Faith asked, huffing to keep her breath in. "Are you high?"

"What do you mean what earthquake?" Buffy frowned. "The one that hit us a few moments ago!"

"Didn't feel a thing!" Faith replied. "What are we going to do?"

"Hang tight, I will open a safe way for you and your slayers to get in." Buffy said and walked out of the room, Annie and Dawn behind.

"Wait, were are you going?" Giles asked. He only heard a muted 'out' as the three women were already inside one of the elevators.

"Let's hope they don't get stuck inside." Willow said, and immediately felt her arm yanked out from behind. "Hey!" She whimpered. "What's going on?"

She looked to her side to see Xander dragging her out of the room with Giles on his other hand.

"Son, what…?"

"We have to get down there." Xander answered. "We'll take the stairs to give Buffy the time she needs."

-------------------

Inside the elevator, Dawn, Buffy and Annie were in silence seeing the red numbers diminishing.

"The earthquake wasn't natural at all, right?" Dawn asked, looking at their reflection on the steel doors.

"Not at all." Buffy sighed.

"Shit. Can't have a five minute break?"

"Not in my line of work."

--------------------

"Calm down, Xander, you're dragging us!" Giles said, as Xander took the stairs down, leaping three to four steps down.

"I'm going to fall down!" Willow yelped, trying to keep with Xander's mad dash.

"There's no time." Xander calmly replied.

"Bloody hell." Giles said, almost out of breath. His analytical mind supplied the logic underneath the two front attack. The vampires had launched a surprise attack, luring out the slayers, attacking them while distracted, and as they were confused and on the run, they attacked the main building.

"Do you think we'll be able to outrun them?" Giles asked, feeling the pressure increase on his chest.

"Don't know." Xander said, and quickly turned around to face his father. "Don't like how your heart is banging in there, pop."

"We are running down the stairs." Giles huffed. "How do you expect my heart to sound?"

"Like Will's." Xander replied. "She at least has good condition."

"She's thirty years younger." Giles replied. Xander's only response was a harsh laugh.

------------------

Roaring out of the Council's garage on board of the Mercedes Dawn had nicked earlier, not knowing why they were once again inside the car.

"Uh, still not getting it, Buff." Dawn said. Buffy only smiled and plugged again her ear piece.

"Faith, are you ready?" She said into the piece.

"Yeah, we already saw the turok hans and it doesn't look nice, so… wait, a car just sped by, someone is still in the city…!"

"Don't worry." Buffy interrupted. "That was us. Just be ready."

"We're ready." Several voices were heard on her earpiece.

"Wait for my signal." Buffy said.

"What is it?"

"You'll get it."

Buffy removed the earpiece and threw it back. Annie looked at her mother's eyes through the rear view mirror and saw resignation in them.

"Looks like you're in this, kiddo." Buffy said. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this, and after you see what we have to do I hope you'll think about what I do more seriously."

"Do what?"

Buffy turned around, and smirked at her daughter. Annie and Dawn frowned when Buffy didn't reply and instead pressed harder the gas pedal. The three thousand pound car began accelerating and quickly surpassed the seventy mph mark.

"Uh, Buffy, we're going straight back at the Council." Dawn timidly said.

"I know."

"And there must be, like, thirty turok hans between us and the front door."

"I see them."

"Uh, and yet we're going faster."

"Yeah."

"Is there something you're not telling us?"

"This thing has passenger airbags, right?"

"What!" Dawn shrieked.

"You know how I said I'd find a way to get them inside safely?" Buffy said, smiling and still pressing on the gas pedal. "You two should really tighten the seatbelts."

Annie and Dawn shared a look of insecurity and fear before tightening their seatbelts.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Buffy Summers' airlines." Buffy said, laughing. "We are about to make an emergency landing on the airport of crash city."

"Are you crazy?" Dawn asked, laughing.

"Just doing my job."

The slayers outside the Council received their signal, as a Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren crashed into thirty turok hans and the front of the building at ninety five miles per hour.

-----------------------

"Wooohoo!" Buffy said as she kicked off the door of the mangled car. She slowly crawled out of it, a huge smile on her face. Moans came out of the not so destroyed vehicle as Dawn and Annie disentangled themselves from the deflating airbags. They stared at Buffy, their eyes throwing daggers as they carefully walked away from the crash.

"Who's ready for ramp two?" Buffy asked, ignoring the several distorted and mutilated corpses of the turok hans around them. The car had crashed all through the main foyer, and had stopped a few inches short of the elevator shaft, where two holes in the steel doors signaled the entry point of two already dusted turok hans.

"Can't say that wasn't fun, but, uh…" Dawn scratched her face, and frowned when her hand came up slightly tinted red. "How to say this? Oh, right, uh, are you out of your fucking mind?"

"Come on, we had to get inside." Buffy said, walking closer to her daughter and inspecting her. "Besides, you two have survived worse."

"That was cool, mum." Annie said, as Buffy was checking her face and head for wounds.

"It was, wasn't it?" Buffy replied, a smile on her face. After she made sure her daughter had no serious injuries, she turned to check her sister.

"Let me see that." Buffy said, noticing her sister cradling her forehead.

"It's nothing, you stupid twat."

"You don't even know what that word means." Buffy replied. "Come on, let me see."

"It's nothing." Dawn said, but leaned her head so Buffy could take a look at it.

"For once, you are right, it is a small cut." Buffy said. "Knew that hard head of yours would be useful one day."

"Bite me."

"Oh, behave."

"What happened here!" Giles' voice distracted the three women and they turned to where he stood, panting on the stairs.

"We heard a crash!" Willow said. "And now you… where you attacked?"

"Nope." Buffy said, smiling as she saw the slayers coming from the hole in the building's foyer and right behind Willow, Giles and Xander. "It was a signal, and I believe the girls got it."

"Quite a scandalous signal." Giles said, still unable to catch his breath but smiling when he saw Faith and the other several slayers managing to get inside the building.

"Hardcore, B!" Faith screamed. "Way to go!"

Many cheers were heard as the slayers rushed inside, frowning when Xander stepped in their way.

"You can't go upstairs!" He yelled. "You don't know what happened but we need you all to go to SL1, right now!"

Faith looked at Buffy with a questioning look.

"We'll bunk in there and reorganize there." She said. "Since we don't have any electricity, we'd be an easy target in the upper levels."

"The slayers heard something as soon as the earthquake stopped." Xander said, still not letting go of the redhead's arm. "The floor on SL4 cracked and they reported a large crack on it."

"And?"

"I can hear what's down there." Xander said. "And from what I can hear, the things down there are the same things out there."

He pointed his finger out, and beyond the destruction caused by Buffy's impromptu arrival, several turok hans began surrounding the Council.

"Bugger." Annie said.

---------------------------

Somewhere in London

"This violence is acceptable." Illyria said, as she ripped off the head of a struggling turok han in her grasp.

"That's the tenth vampire we've been able to find." Connor said, standing on top of an abandoned car. Wesley walked near them and looked around, nodding.

"We should have found more by now." He said. "I can only guess the slayers listened to us and returned to the Council."

"That would explain the absence of half breeds." Illyria said. Wesley frowned upon hearing her words, but said nothing about it. He instead turned to Connor and jumped atop the car.

"Haven't felt any of them as well." Wesley said. "Your tracking skills are far better than mine, have you seen something?"

"Other than unorganized mayhem and no focused tracks? Nothing."

"Looks as if they were only released to destroy." Wesley said. "The perfect trap."

"And the slayers fell for it." Connor replied. "Looks like you were right."

"It doesn't amuse me." Wesley said. "Many lives were lost, and the battle is merely beginning."

"So, what are we going to do?" Connor asked.

"We go back."

"To the Council?"

"I guess that would be where the battle has been relocated."

"Lead the way, then."

Wesley jumped down the car, and looked at Illyria. He saw something in her blue eyes he'd seen in the past years, and he wondered if he was going crazy again.

End of Chapter

**A/N2:** Days of Thunder is the title of a late 80's or an early 90's movie, I really don't remember that well. It's a movie about cars and crashes, as this episode depicts.


	39. First Strike

Chapter 38 First Strike 

**A/N:** Chapter thirty eight of the series.

**Disclaimer:** All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows. Original characters are mine.

**Feedback:** Sure, if you want to.

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London, England

The Watcher's Council

December 2017

"I don't really like where this is going."

Buffy turned to look at Giles and laughed.

"Well, duh." She chuckled. Next to her, slayers and watchers were running into the safety of SL1, some of them carrying weapons and most of them carrying food or water, necessary for their made up base camp.

"What are they waiting for?" Dawn whispered, noting how the turok hans had completely surrounded the building but were not making any attempt of getting inside.

"Damned if I know." Buffy whispered back. "Maybe since we're bunking inside, the building has become a living quarter and they need an invitation to get in. Who knows?"

"That would seem plausible, yes." Giles appeared behind them, carrying two broad swords and handing one two Buffy. "Willow, on the other hand, thinks it has more to do with the protection barriers erected years ago around the building."

Both Dawn and Buffy blushed and nodded.

"Already knew that." Dawn said.

"Oh yeah, totally. Completely aware of that."

"Yes, indeed, how many slayers and watchers still to get inside?" Giles asked, looking at the constant flow of people.

"We should all be inside in the next five minutes." Buffy replied. "Have you contacted Wesley?"

"Not yet." Giles admitted. "Plus, I think they wouldn't be quite able to get inside, would them?" The head watcher pointed at the army of primitive vampires gathered outside.

"That would be difficult, yes." Dawn grimaced. "But we should at least warn them."

Giles nodded and handed her his cell phone before heading back and going inside SL1. Dawn looked at the device in her hand and scoffed.

"I meant you should call him!" She shouted after him before sighing and opening the phone.

-----------------

Wesley didn't like what he was feeling and he turned to look at Illyria. The goddess returned his gaze and he found the same uncertainty in her eyes. At least he thought that look meant uncertainty, for the creature walking next to him was hardly fazed by anything.

"Connor, wait." Wesley spoke. "I don't think the Council is the safest place to go right now."

Connor stopped and turned to look at the both of them.

"You just said we had to get back." The young man replied.

"I know what I said." Wesley huffed. "But I believe the turok hans have finally focused their attack there."

"Which is precisely why we should hurry up and get there!"

Wesley was about to reply when his cell began ringing. He sighed and rubbed his forehead before answering.

"What."

"Wesley? Dawn here, where are you?"

Wesley frowned and checked the number ID on his screen.

"Why are you calling me from Giles' number?" He asked.

"He gave it to me, why else do you think?" Dawn hissed. "Look, it doesn't matter. You shouldn't get too close to the Council right now. It's completely surrounded by turok hans."

"Exactly the way we wanted." Wesley said. "All slayers inside?"

"Yes, but…"

"No time." Wesley interrupted. "Activate the defense protocols and have half the slayers attack…"  
"Wait! Wait!" Now Dawn interrupted. "Before you go Rambo on us, an earthquake hit the Council a couple of minutes ago, did you feel it?"

Wesley looked at Illyria and at Connor, who he knew could hear Dawn's voice.

"No, we didn't feel any tremor." Wesley sighed. "How much damage did we take?"

"Heavy stuff. We doubt electricity will hold up much longer. We think the power station was damaged." Dawn replied.

"You're heading towards one of the Sublevels, right?"

"Yeah, but there's more."

"Oh, great."

"Yup. The earthquake seems to have opened a rift on the floor of SL4." Dawn said.

"That's impossible. Sl4's floor is pure rock and granite." Wesley replied.

"That's impossible for you." Dawn countered. "But a dozen slayers saw the hole and Xander says there is something down there."

"Something?"

"Yeah, like a gazillion turok hans."

"Shit." Wesley covered the mouthpiece of his cell and looked at his companions.

"The Council's been hit." He said. "There are turok hans surrounding it and there are countless others striking from beneath."

"Thought that couldn't be done." Connor stated.

"Thought so as well." Wesley said. "They're going to hide in most likely SL1."

He took his hand off the mouthpiece and spoke into the phone again.

"You are planning on hiding on SL1, right?" He asked.

"Yeah, what happened?"

"Spoke to Illyria and Connor." Wesley paused. "Look, we're going to try to get as close as possible and assess the situation from a higher point. I'll call you when we get to our positions."  
"Cool. Oh, by the way, the higher point thing? Not advisable." Dawn said.

"Why?"

"The army is two minutes from spraying the city with napalm."

Wesley's eyes widened and he closed the cell without replying. He looked at his two companions and then up in the sky.

"Napalm, huh?" Connor asked and also looked up.

"What is that device?" Illyria asked, her head cocked to the side. "And why has it you two looking up into the skies? Is it a weather condition?"

"It's fire." Connor replied. "Quite hot. It burns everything, even the things that are not prone to catch fire."

"Fire doesn't harm me." Illyria stated. "Or Wesley, for that matter."

"Uh, but I'm not fireproof." Connor said. "Sucks to be me, then?"

"No." Wesley replied. "But we'll have to find a practical fox hole to…"

Wesley shut up and quickly turned around, the motion mimicked by his two companions.

"I've heard that noise before." Illyria said, clearly bothered. "It is produced by your fuel propelled airborne vehicles."

"Does she talk like this all the time?" Connor suddenly asked.

"You have no idea." Wesley replied, not taking his eyes from the sky. "But she's right."

"Huh?"

"She meant the RAF."

---------------------

All slayers and watchers were inside the safety of SL1 when Buffy heard Xander's voice shouting from inside the room.

"Buffy, Dawn! Get inside right now!"

"What? Why?"

"They lied, Buffy!" Now Giles' voice was heard. "We didn't have the time we were promised!"

"What?" Buffy and Dawn looked at each other and then at the turok hans outside, who had suddenly begun to make much noise.

"Something's bothering them." Dawn noted.

"That's because they can hear something we can't." Buffy said, and then something clicked in her head. "So does Xander, get inside!"

All next movements were a cacophony of confusion, as both Buffy and Dawn made a mad dash for the stairs leading them to SL1 the moment they finally heard what had gotten Xander and the vampires so agitated.

"Airplanes." Dawn huffed, trying not to fall. Buffy nodded and managed one look behind, the streets still visible.

The Royal Air Force, or RAF, as one of the largest air forces in the whole world, possessed over 900 aircraft and had a manpower exceeding the 40, 000 mark, sent ten Eurofighters Typhoons to circle over the city, empowering rubber bullets to spray over the city in order to incapacitate whatever assailants had stormed the now ablaze city.

Flying over the city, the twin engines of the planes roared and sent the 34, 000 lbs. attack weapon to engage speed and used its 27 mm Mauser BK-27 cannon to spray rubber all over, hitting many turok hans and the unsuspecting civilian hurt or abandoned on the streets.

Dawn also turned around the moment she heard the turok hans screaming and growling over the massive impacts delivered by the planes, and her mind immediately let her know no human would survive such an onslaught, even if they were using rubber bullets.

Buffy cursed silently in her mind, as her thoughts went out immediately to those civilians and innocents still outside, and felt for the first time in her life the very same emotion she had fought so hard against.

Hate.

End of Chapter.


	40. Fire In The Hole

**Chapter 39**

**Fire In The Hole**

**A/N: **Chapter thirty nine in the series.

**Disclaimer: **You all know this belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback:** As you wish.

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Somewhere in London

December 2017

Sgt. Joe Hallenbeck was helping a pregnant woman trying to get out of the building she'd hidden when the fires had begun, and had found herself trapped in a now slowly burning structure.

"Come on, lady, help me a bit here." Joe struggled.

"I'm sorry, officer." The woman said as she looked at Joe with teary eyes. Joe cursed and shook his head.

"I'm not mad at you ma'am, but you have to push a bit harder if we want to get out through this window."

"Yes, sir." The woman almost whispered. Joe was about to say something else to calm the young and very pregnant woman when he heard something he knew had heard somewhere before. Standing still, he turned around and tried to see through the smoke,

"Something wrong, officer?" The woman timidly asked and Joe hushed her gently, trying to recognize what he was hearing.

"Can you hear that?" He asked. The woman stopped sniffing and listened up, struggling to get her head upright.

"Aren't those airplanes?" She asked, and something clicked inside Joe's head. He looked at her and his eyes must have sent a clear message, because both the officer and the pregnant woman tossed themselves back into the burning building just in time to avoid being sprayed by the rubber bullets.

-------------------

Wesley found himself in a very uncomfortable position while hiding underneath a parked taxi cab, a cramped space for the three of them, causing him to be lying on the ground face to face with what once had been the woman of his dreams.

"Why are we hiding under this vehicle?" She asked, her blue eyes boring holes into Wesley's. He sighed and counted to ten in his head.

"We may be somewhat invulnerable, Illyria." He said, tired of repeating the same speech every once in a while. "Connor is not, and we couldn't have him being injured by one of these things."

Illyria looked at him, and then tried to look past him to see Connor, who was slowly inching closer to Wesley's back, in turn pushing the former watcher closer to the goddess.

"What are these things?" Connor asked, as one of the rubber bullets ricocheted and landed close to his face. He took one of them and awkwardly handed it to Wesley.

"It's a rubber bullet." Wesley stated the obvious. "The army must have already declared a state of martial law and must have used this to control the situation."

"There is a word for this." Connor frowned. "Overkill, why should they send planes and drop rubber death from the sky?"

"The initiative." Wesley replied. "It must be somehow still active within the military. Surely they have already received notice regarding the turok hans."

"This won't kill a turok han." Connor stated.

"Of course not." Wesley nodded. "But it also wouldn't kill a slayer."

"So, why are we hiding down here?" Connor asked and was about to move out when Wesley grabbed his shirt.

"Wait, there's no need to get injured." Wesley said.

"You just said it wouldn't kill a slayer." Connor frowned. "I'm as durable as one of them."

"It may not kill you, but to what use would you be if you fell unconscious?" Wesley stated. "And this rubber bullets are merely the first strike, remember the napalm?"

"Then what? Should we wait for the napalm to fall while we're under a very volatile, how did she put it, fuel consuming vehicle?"

Wesley knew Connor had a point, but his mind was already working, he turned around to look at Illyria and once again frowned.

Illyria was looking away and was absently scratching her nose, a motion so like Fred that Wesley couldn't help but being mesmerized by it.

"What?" Illyria noticed Wesley's gaze and directed her eyes towards him, still scratching her nose.

"Nothing." Wesley said, feeling something akin to a grin creep up his nose. "Just that." He said, pointing at her nose.

"There is an uncomfortable sensation on this part of flesh." Illyria replied, her voice monotonous as ever. "Logic implied I should do something."

Wesley nodded and once again his features hardened. "Connor is right, if we want to survive this we'll have to look for shelter, and I have just found one."

Wesley pointed up and his two companions fixed their eyes into the spot Wesley was signaling to.

"A sewer?" Connor asked. "Man, you and my father did spend too much time together, didn't you?"

"I have the scar to prove it, Connor." Wesley replied. "Now we have to make a run for it, ready?"

Both Illyria and Connor nodded and began crawling towards one side of the car.

"Go."

--------------------

"Who was it?" Buffy hissed as the last of the planes seemingly went by.

"Who was what?" Giles replied as he saw Buffy's eyes directed at him.

"Who was the one who gave the order?" Buffy clarified her question. Giles sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't want any evasive maneuver this time, Giles. Who did this?"

"What do you want to do, Buffy?" Giles asked. "Even if I told you the name, what good would it make?"

"I want to know who ordered an attack that probably just wiped out the few remaining civilians alive out there!" Buffy shrieked. "I want to know the name so I can get the scumbag after all this finishes and ram my boot up his ass!"

Giles shook his head and hoped Buffy had the common sense to take her anger somewhere else, no twhile being cramped with packs of uneasy slayers ready to pounce.  
"I can't tell you the name right now." He replied, his voice stern and harsh. "It doesn't matter right now. There's nothing you could have done, and now the napalm is seconds from falling. You should be more worried about easing your troops instead of finding guilt where there is none."

"What are you, high?" Buffy almost screamed. "Rubber bullets won't stop turok hans, Giles. Napalm won't stop them as well, and all they're causing is more innocent deaths! I want you to give me a name so I can call right now and stop this nonsense!"

Giles grabbed Buffy's arms and pulled her against him.

"Listen up, little girl, because I don't think you're grasping this situation." He said, and he could see the fire burning in Buffy's eyes. "You were out there. You couldn't feel the vampires. You couldn't stop the fires. We are a secret organization, in case you have forgotten. It was obvious the army would take action the moment we failed to do a damn thing. And if the army sprayed the city with rubber bullets was out of consideration for me and the slayers."

"Then the army knows jackshit about consideration." Buffy spat back.

"No, my dear child, they don't, but a rubber bullet wouldn't kill a slayer." Giles stated.

"And what about the rest of the people out there?" Buffy forgot all about privacy and whispers. "What about those who were still running? The turok hans were already here, and they weren't a threat anymore!"

"Which is precisely what Wesley wanted to do in the first place."

Both Giles and Buffy turned around and saw Willow approaching them.

"Don't look at me like that." She said. "He told us and we didn't listen. He was right, there was nothing we could have done. I've been trying to get in tune with the coven and nothing is happening. I can't even feel the vampires outside. We fell into the trap, and the whole city went with us."

"I don't believe that." Buffy said. "We have always been able to come out on top."

"This time was different." Willow said. "I don't like it, but we have to begin thinking like Wesley did, Buffy. The city is gone. There is nothing we could do about it. We tried, Goddess know we tried, but we were outnumbered and outclassed."

"I don't accept that." Buffy crossed her arms. "We don't give up, remember? We fight and we give our best."

"We gave our best in Sunnydale, Buffy." Giles stated. "We fought and closed the hellmouth, but we still had casualties and couldn't save the entire town."

"That was different." Buffy countered.

"How was that different?" Willow asked. "Because we fought? Because you came out of it bleeding and tired? That's it, isn't it?"

"What?" Buffy crossed her arms.

"You're itching because you didn't get to fight to the death." Willow revealed. "Don't feel like this, Buff. There was nothing we could do now. If you didn't get back here, you could have died."

"We could be out there fighting." She stubbornly said. "Instead of waiting her for the fire to rain out of the sky!"

Willow slapped Buffy, an action that wouldn't hurt the slayer at all, but forced her to shut up and brought tears to her eyes.

"Wake up, Buffy!" Willow snapped. "We did everything we could, honest! There was nothing more we could have done out there, except die."

Buffy's hand was covering the spot where Willow had slapped her, and a tear was threatening to fall.

"It's not fair." She whispered. "There must have been something…"

"There wasn't." Giles interrupted. "There isn't. We now have to wait and hope the napalm gives us a head start."

Their conversation and the general chit chat in SL1 was cut short when Xander whistled, causing everyone to turn and look at him.

"Sorry to interrupt all your heated arguments, but I guess you should know the airplanes are making a second pass." Xander informed.

Giles looked at Buffy and then turned towards the steel doors.

"You were wondering why I had some of your girls carry the vending machines, right?" He asked Buffy. "I had them place them at the steel doors. The coolant system and their weight should give us a tiny extra protection should the napalm find its way down here."

"Like using a frying pan as a bullet proof vest?" Willow asked.

"Precisely." Giles smiled.

They soon heard the engines of the planes and all moved as far away from the steel doors as they could.

"Not to be pessimist." Dawn suddenly said. "But we're in the Council's garage, right?"

"I know." Giles replied. "If the fire gets in, we're surrounded by very explosive cars."

Buffy looked at them as they all made their way to the farthest wall from the entrance.

"Then let's hope the fire doesn't get in."

-----------------------

Sgt. Joe Hallenbeck looked up and was finally sure there were no more bullets coming down from the sky.

"Has it stopped?" The frightened and pregnant woman asked.

"Yeah, think so." Joe replied, daring to look outside and not seeing nor hearing any planes. "Now, to more immediate matters, this house is still burning, let's get out of here."

He turned back and helped the woman get to her feet, and fortunately, when looking back to the window, he noticed the front door to the building had been brought down by the bullets.

"Looks like we're lucky, ma'am." Joe said, smiling. "You won't have to jump through the window."

"Thank God." She sighed. "What were those bloody things?"

"Uh, the army, ma'am." He replied.

"I know, I'm not a complete idiot." She countered. "The bullets. I saw some of them bounce off the floor."

"Probably rubber bullets, ma'am." Joe replied. "We use them sometimes to stop riots gone bad."

"I'd say this riot went quite bad." The woman joked. Joe smiled as well and hoped his own family had gotten out of the city.

"What's your name, ma'am?" He asked, helping her get out of the rapidly burning structure.

"Mary Poole." She replied. "Yours?"

"Sgt. Joseph Hallenbeck, at your service." He replied, smiling. "Now, how far along are you?"

"Six and a half months." She said. "No danger of this bundle of joy slipping away."

"Let's hope so." He smiled.

"There's the noise again." Mary Poole said. "Looks like the planes are coming back for a second round."

"Don't think so." Joe said. "Well, I hope."

"Shouldn't we look for cover?" She asked, her voice trembling. Joe shook his head and noticed how there was only one plane circling over the city.

"I don't think it is going to fire over us again." He said and turned to look at her. "I think we should be safe."

He noticed Mary's eyes were not fixed on his own, but instead on something behind him. Mary Poole instead saw something tiny drop from the underbelly of the plane, which then took off at exceeding speed. The frightened woman merely pointed and Joe was forced to look back.

"What…?"

"It dropped something." Mary said, and Joe turned around in time to see the big ball of flame erupt and the deafening sound of the napalm bomb exploding.

End of Chapter


	41. Smoke and Ashes

**Chapter 40**

**Smoke and Ashes**

**A/N:** Chapter forty of the series.

**Disclaimer:** All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback:** Sure, that'd be great.

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London, England

December 2017

Napalm is a warfare weapon consisting of flammable liquid fuel. Developed by the USA to use it in WWII, it is made by precipitating aluminium soaps from another types of soap and palmitic acid by the means of alum, mixing dry powder with gasoline.

Such incendiary bombs set almost everything on fire, burning at temperatures from 800 to 1200 degrees Celsius, and water is ineffective in setting it off.

One Mark 77 firebomb was deployed in the epicenter of the riots in London, ironic, since the city was already going down in flames.

-------------------

General Thaddeus Ross was sitting on his desk contemplating the very same thing. If his liaison to the secret branch Codename: Initiative was right, the napalm would bring down a notch or two the population of vampires.

Never in his military career had he thought he would be forced to deploy a weapon of mass destruction in the middle of his beloved city. He had received numerous memos and warnings from the UN, remembering him that a treaty in 1980 had prohibited the use of Napalm on civilian targets, but he'd answered them all with the martial law state England had declared and had to find a latter excuse as to how to explain the use of incendiary bombs if there was no war.

He rubbed his tired eyes and cursed. He knew he'd have to rely more on Rupert Giles' witches to get out of the situation unsigned, and would most likely have to give Codename: Initiative the urgent funds they'd been asking for since the last decade.

---------------------

"The napalm is ablaze." Xander said, seconds before everyone heard the loud boom caused because of the explosion.

"How far from here did it explode?" Buffy asked.

"I'd say four blocks." Xander replied. "And by the smell of it, it will hit us… right… about…. Now!"

For a tense second nothing happened, but then a gust of warm wind hissed through the steel doors, cracking the glass on the heavy vending machines. The soda cans bubbled and exploded but nothing seemed to happen. At the most, some slayers gagged and felt dizzy from the smell of burnt things permeating the level.

"God, that stinks." Dawn said, covering her nose and mouth.

"Imagine what I'm getting here." Xander grimaced as well and retched to the side.

"God, is this what roasted turok han smells like?" Buffy said, covering her mouth and nose with her blouse. "Dammit, that stinks!"

"Yes, well, we'll have to wait a few minutes before daring to open the doors." Giles said, coughing and trying not to think about the stench. "Just be calm and try to think of something else."

"What will happen now?" Buffy asked instead. Giles pondered the question for a moment before answering.

"They'll probably use freight carriers to smother the flames." He replied. "Lots of sand will fall on the city, I guess."

"Sand?"

"Water doesn't extinguish napalm, dear."

"Oh."

"Yes, looks like we'll have to wait inside a few more moments."

"Grandpa?" Annie's voice was heard.

"What is it?"

"The slayers back there and some of the watchers are choking." Annie said, her hand over her nose. "The smell is making us all gag and we seriously need some air."

"Seems like the Council is safe for the moment, don't you think?" Buffy asked. "Maybe we could get out and make a quick sweep, just to see what happened up there."

"I don't think you should do that." Willow said, and surprisingly enough, she wasn't holding her nose like the rest of them. "Napalm is probably still burning, and there may be some explosions still to come."

"Yes, well, why aren't you affected by this ungodly scent?" Giles asked, feeling dizzier by the minute.

"Oh, I'm casting low level spells which should suppress our scent for a while." Willow replied. "It's not numbing it entirely, but it's making the odor tolerable."

"Smart, can I test it?" Dawn asked.

"Oh it's already in the air, everyone should feel the effects sooner or later." Willow replied. "It's just that some people are, how to say it, more immune to magic than others."

"Damn my natural immunity to magic!" Buffy said. "Damn it to hell!"

Willow and Giles looked at each other seconds before bursting into laughter. Buffy smiled as well and covered her nose.

"Seriously, Will, couldn't you make it a high level spell?" Buffy asked.

"Thought about it." Willow replied, still eyeing the smoking steel door. "But if there were leakages we would be unable to smell them."

"Leakages?" Buffy asked anew.

"Gas." Dawn replied. "Imagine us not smelling a thing, then coming upstairs with lit torches. It only takes a spark before boom, instant extra crispy slayers."

"Ugh, graphic, again."

"Glad to be of service."

"How long do you think we'll have to stay here?" Buffy asked Giles. The head watcher looked at his watch and thought for a few seconds.

"Give or take ten minutes."

--------------------

Somewhere in London, England

December 2017

Sgt. Joe Hallenbeck still couldn't move.

A shocked Mary Poole was shaking at his side, her hands pressing hard into his right arm, both transfixed by the sight before them. Ten city blocks had erupted in an enormous ball of fire and it seemed to be growing by the moment.

"Is that…?" But Mary couldn't find the words to describe what she was seeing. After tense moments, Joe finally got his senses back and pulled Mary along.

"Let's get out of here." He said. "That thing looks like something I hope it is not."

"Like what?" Mary asked, trying to keep a fast pace, seeing the look on Joe's face.

"Do you know what napalm is, ma'am?"

"Thought that looked familiar." Mary replied, nodding her head. "I'm a chemist."

"Then you know we should get as far away from that thing as possible."

------------------

North London, England

December 2017

"I don't like what's happening." Wesley said, still walking through the sewers.

"Glad you finally made it." Connor said, walking next to him. "There's nothing to like here."

"You know what I mean." Wesley replied, looking ahead. "Can you handle the stench?"

Connor nodded and coughed in response, the napalm having boiled the liquids in the sewage, turning it into a disgusting smelling vapor.

"Are we going to travel through this filth for long?" Illyria asked, being left in the behind a few blocks ago. "My olfactory receptors are clearly repulsing this fowl odor."

"Not long, highness." Wesley said, not looking back. "The Council must be a couple hundred feet from here."

"Can't we get out there?" Connor asked.

"Napalm must still be burning, and in case you haven't heard them, there are still explosions going on because of it." Wesley answered, also not bothering to look at Connor.

"Great. Now London must be a crater."

"The army must have thought about a way to extinguish the napalm." Wesley stated. "They must have known the napalm would instantly kill any vampire out there."

"And any unlucky human." Connor muttered.

"We're at war, Connor." Wesley said. "Battle for Balance, remember?"

"Don't give me the numbers speech again." Connor said, feeling repulsed by both the odor and Wesley's cold blood.

"His logic is correct." Illyria spoke. "If the side we're fighting for should lose, then all humanity will be forfeit."

"Wait." Wesley said, stopping and finally turning to look at Illyria. "It can't be."

"What?" Connor asked, frowning and looking from one to the other. "What is going on."

Illyria cocked her head and remained still for a whole minute.

"I can feel them." Illyria said.

"I can't believe it." Wesley hissed as he took off running, with Connor and Illyria reacting quickly and sprinting behind him.

"What?" Connor asked, quickly catching up with Wesley.

"Looks like the Senior Partners are really serious this time."

------------------------

London, England

The Watcher's Council

December 2017

The odor suppressing spell had finally settled in and most of the people inside SL1 had breathed easier, with the exception of Xander, whose enhanced senses kept receiving the offensive smells.

A tense calm soon arrived within the sub level, as the explosions finally receded and Giles finally gave the order to remove the still smoking vending machines and having Willow open the steel doors via magic.

A wave of smoke and heat once again found its way into the room and once again most of the slayers gagged. Xander vomited again and thus caused Dawn to throw up as well.

"Gross, Xander, when did you eat that?" She shrieked."

"Don't want to remember." Xander replied, still doubled over and pressing his nose with his fingers.

Buffy gagged as well but managed to avoid throwing up and managed to climb the stairs up to the main foyer. There, the air coming through the shattered windows made the smell far more tolerable and had blown away most of the remains of the turok hans.

"Man, it stinks worse up here." Dawn said, covering her nose and mouth with her blouse. "Turok hans are nasty even when burnt."

"Any word on our subterranean friends?" Giles asked Xander as he appeared on the stairs.

"They're still there." Xander replied. "But they're not moving. I don't want to think about what that means."

"They could be waiting for something." Willow offered. "Maybe they can't get in, who knows?"

"We should know." Giles said. "Listen up, all of you. Xander, select a team of watchers and slayers and head downstairs to stand guard. Willow, you come with me."

"Where are you going?" Xander asked.

"We may have some electricity left." Giles answered. "I'll see if I can get the Council on line with the army. I want Willow to get in touch with the coven to finally find out why the slayers can't feel the turok hans."

"Good." Xander said, before heading into the mass of slayers and watchers gathered in the main foyer.

"Looks like the napalm got all of 'em." Buffy said, looking outside of the building and shuddering when seeing the streets burnt and the fire still going on.

"Won't the sand get us here?" Annie suddenly asked.

"Yeah, we better get going upstairs." Dawn said. She turned around and was about to talk when Xander beat her to it.

"The planes are coming!" He shouted, but there was something else in his voice. "They're not alone! There's something else in the air!"

Every living being inside the council listened and dared to look outside. The fire was still heavy and the wind was picking it up, mixing the heat with the smells, hurting their noses and eyes.

Buffy covered her eyes and managed to see the sky between long tendrils of smoke and quickly rising flames.

"Why hasn't the sprinklers watered us down?" Dawn asked, looking up and thinking of the dangerous flames still surrounding them.

"The intense heat must have melted them." Buffy replied, still looking at the sky. Dawn nodded and began thinking about what they could do about it, when her sister spoke again.

"I see the planes, Xander, but what did you mean when…?"

Buffy didn't have the chance to finish her question when a large figure suddenly appeared behind the fighter jet, an image Buffy had seen almost fourteen years ago, at the back of an abandoned hotel back in California.

"Oh God…" She whispered. Xander quickly appeared besides her and grabbed her shoulders.

"I can't see it, but I'll never forget the sound they make." He said, visibly agitated. "Looks like Joyce was right, Buffy, we may not win this."

Buffy quickly looked at Xander and thanked God he couldn't see what the rest of them were seeing. She turned her head up again in time to see a large herd of dragons assault the large airplanes sent to extinguish the deadly napalm flames.

End of Chapter.


	42. Sleepers

**Chapter 41.**

**Sleepers**

**A/N:** Chapter forty one in the series. I know this story has been long, and longer than even I expected. I am sorry if someone has been discouraged by this fact. Even I have been tired when stories are so long, even if they are really good. So, I don't know if there is anyone out there still reading this, but I should issue yet another warning. This is not a happy story, and it probably won't have a happy ending, so keep reading at your own risk. Once again: A very long story, with no happy ending in sight. You've been warned.

**Disclaimer:** All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows. Original characters are mine.

**Feedback**: Sure, that'd be great.

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Somewhere in London, England

December 2017

"Quite interesting." Mary Poole said, sitting comfortably on the backseat of a Nissan Maxima while Sgt. Joe Hallenbeck struggled to hotwire the car.

"What's interesting?" He asked, trying to remember if the yellow wire went with the green one.

"A bobby who knows how to hotwire a car." She replied.

"Uh, I was born in New York, y'know." Joe said. "When you grow in certain places, you get to learn a lot of things."

"Like I said, quite interesting."

Joe sighed and finally managed to start the car. He smiled as he sat properly on the driver's seat and looked at Mary through the rearview mirror.

"Thankfully, this was a very old car." He said. "Any car built after 2007 was practically impossible to start like this."

"Glad we finally got some good luck." She replied.

"Hey, we survived rubber death from above and fiery demise from beneath, I'd say we've been having a lot of good luck." He said as he shifted gears to Drive and took off.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"Don't know." He honestly said. "I guess I should take you to a hospital, but everything is two seconds from blowing up, so I guess the best bet is to head out of this city."

"What were you doing inside?" Mary asked. "Been calling the cops but no one answered. Figured everyone was on the street, dead, or halfway into France."

"Not all of us are incompetent assholes." He chuckled. "Some of my partners are…were really good cops."

"What happened to them?"

Joe remained silent for several seconds, hesitant about what to answer.

"They were doing their jobs." He finally replied. "They went down as heroes."

--------------------

Buffy rubbed her eyes, hoping she had seen a mirage or the flames playing tricks with her mind. For blissful seconds she heard nothing but distant explosions and the crack of flames, until Dawn shrieked and broke her illusions, bringing back the harsh reality.

"Are those dragons?" Dawn asked, her breath increasing as well as her heartbeat.

"You can't be serious." Xander said. "I thought I was hearing wrong."

"You're not." Willow said, instantly clutching Xander's arm. "They're there. I can feel them."

"What?" Giles asked.

"It's weird, but I can feel their power." Willow said. "The army…it wasn't a joke or a pessimistic point of view. There is an army."

"What are we going to do?" Dawn asked, turning around. "Anyone has any idea how to kill so many dragons?"

"Angel killed one." Buffy absentmindedly said. "That night, he killed it."

"Yeah, well, there was only one." Dawn said, lifting one finger and waving it in front of Buffy's eyes. "One. There are a whole bunch of them now. What's going to happen now?"

"God, this is really happening." Giles said, rubbing his forehead. "I thought we could have more time. Maybe they would attack one at a time."

"No such luck." Xander said, feeling his father's heart speeding and smelling the fear in the air. "We have to calm down. We're no use to anyone if we panic."

"Uh, bad news, Xander." Annie said. "Some watchers ran away in pain and the slayers are in shock."

"What?"

"Can't blame them, though." Annie said as she looked up. "Bloody hell, those things do exist."

"Of course they exist." Dawn said. "Told you so, didn't I?"

"Thought they were a myth." Annie replied. "Vampires and werewolves? Sure, no big deal, but dragons? What's next, a soddin' unicorn?"

"Language, kid." Dawn said. "And no, last I heard, there were no unicorns."

"Thank God, next thing you know, Harry bleedin' Potter is going to show up anytime." Annie said.

"You still read that shit?"

"Hey, it was good when I was five." Annie smirked. "Good memories and good movies."

"Right:"

"The army is going to attack." Giles interrupted their easy banter. "The dragons will make short work of the carriers and soon the RAF will send other planes."

"What could shoot down a dragon?" Dawn asked. "Those are tough motherfuckers."

"Language." Annie repeated the line and Dawn smirked back.

"The RAF will probably use more Typhoons." Giles said.

"Helicopters." Xander said. "They'll also try to use helicopters."

"That will end well." Dawn sarcastically said.

"As long as they don't nuke the city." Xander replied. "We have to find cover."

Buffy was still looking up, not acknowledging the words spoken around her, her eyes fixed on the deadly creatures tearing apart a large Airbus A330 MRTT and shrugging off the subsequent explosion.

"Fire doesn't hurt them." She whispered. Annie heard and was next to her mother in an instant, looking up as well.

"What is it, mum?"

"Dragons are almost unbeatable." Buffy replied. "We had a lot of trouble slaughtering one of them. This…this is ridiculous."

"The fire won't let them see us." Annie thought out loud. "We should head up and think about what we're going to do."

"Annie is right." Giles placed his hand on Buffy's shoulder. "We have to think about the other turok hans beneath the Council. There are plans to be made."

Buffy nodded and slowly walked towards the stairs, still hearing diverse explosions and the growls of the dragons.

------------------------

Wesley was struggling to see through the flames, but he was more aware of the battle in the air through the thing's senses.

"We've fought such creatures before." Illyria said, not even looking up. "We killed one of them a few cycles ago."

"One." Connor focused on such number. "You all killed only one. There are more than eight of those things circling the city and taking down the planes sent to extinguish the flames."

"They knew." Wesley said. "They knew what we would do."

"What do you mean?" Connor asked, tired of asking the same questions and always being one step behind.

"Think about it." Wesley said. "A few turok hans attacked and set the city on fire. Since the city was already going out in flames, the army, or the initiative, didn't think twice about using napalm to strike down the vampires. Yet another pack of them waited underground while the flames ravaged the already condemned city."

"Is this all part of a plan?" Connor asked.

"When the napalm finished it's job, they sent the dragons to ensure the city remained on flames." Wesley continued.

"That would kill the vampires as well." Connor said, guessing where everything was going.

"Yes, but they would serve a purpose." Wesley said. "Think about it. It's like warfare, a first batallion of expendable vampires was sent to begin the attack. We struck back and wiped them out, but the dragons are here to ensure the flames keep going, in order to keep the slayers inside the Council, where…"

Wesley's eyes met those of his two companions, and soon what he was thinking was evident to the others.

"Since they can't go out, the vampires beneath will attack." Connor said.

"Exactly."

"They couldn't be so stupid to be caught inside, wouldn't they?" Connor asked, feeling anxious.

"Not stupid." Wesley said. "Remember when Dawn said the turok hans were surrounding the building?"

Connor and Illyria nodded.

"They must have thought the vampires couldn't get in, due to a spell or something else." Wesley rubbed his eyes with the palm of his hands. "The vampires tricked us. They could get in, but they wanted them to think they couldn't."

"So we would stay inside the Council, thinking it was safe." Connor said, everything clear in his head. "We have to get there right now."

"And what? Be caught with them?" Wesley said as the three of them took off running towards the Council.

"I don't know!" Connor replied. "But we have to let them know the vampires can get inside!"

---------------------

Most of the slayers and remaining watchers had stayed behind on level 4, while the others went directly to the sixth level, hoping to find at least a small indicator of electricity.

"Willow, what's our status?" Giles asked the moment he sat down on his chair.

"Uh, let me get my station working." She said, also sitting down on her chair. Tense moments of silence went by as Willow's screen miraculously sprang to life and ran a quick test on the entire building. Standing next to a window, Xander stood vigilant for any sign that should escape his teammates.

Buffy, Faith, Dawn and Annie seized the chance to drink something and eat a small snack to replenish their energies. A small moment of peace was finally granted to the army of The Powers That Be and they let all the tension leave their body.

"Looks like the Council will stand." Willow finally said. "We have enough power to close all the steel doors and engage the defense system."

"What about those left outside?" Faith suddenly asked. "You went through a lot to get my slayers inside, but what about Wesley and Connor?"

"They can take care of themselves." Giles said. "It may sound cold, but if anyone would understand, that's Wesley."

"We should at least call them and let them know." Willow said.

"Activate the defense." Giles said. "I'll let them know."

Willow nodded and ran the defense program on her computer. She typed her password and typed the code she thought best suited their problem.

"Defcon 4 initiated." She said. "The Council will be fire proof and attack proof in seventy three seconds."

"Good." Giles said, looking at his watch. He sighed and lifted the phone.

"We have no lines." He said. "Anything you can do, Will?"

"As soon as the defense mechanism is up, I'll check that up." She replied.

"Right. Uh, has anyone seen my phone?" Giles asked.

"You gave it to me." Dawn said, taking it out of her pants' pocket. "Want me to call him?"

"No, thanks." Giles said. "I'll do it myself, thank you."

"Fifty five seconds" Willow said.

Xander turned around the moment he heard the wheels turn and the steel moving in the lower levels. He hated the defense mechanism, because it was deafening to him, and the oil and electricity moving in the air dampened his scent.

"Come on, Wesley, pick up." Giles muttered under his breath. Xander was feeling uneasy for some reason, and he guessed it was because he had heard nothing but explosions on the past minutes.

"Forty seconds."

The wheels kept turning and the steel banged loudly when it hit against steel, and the electricity hummed in the air as the door were locked magnetically.

"Twenty four seconds."

Giles' head bobbed up as someone finally picked up his call.

"Wesley, glad to hear…"

"Get out of the Council!" Wesley's scream was heard by everyone, and Xander's head turned violently when something clicked on his head.

"Willow! Turn the cameras on!" He shouted.

"What?" Giles asked as well, since Wesley kept shouting them to get out of the building. "Wesley, calm down, what are you…?"

"The vampires can get in!" Wesley shouted the moment Willow's screen displayed the cameras on the whole building. A sudden gasp escaped Willow's throat as she tried to override the security controls.

"They're inside the building!" She screamed. "They could get in any moment!"

Giles looked up and saw how Willow turned on the large screen and several images appeared, most of the cameras displaying an army of turok hans climbing over the large hole on the deepest sub level and some of them already climbing up the stairs. The cell dropped from his hand as he stood up, not believing what he was seeing.

"The noise of the security system hid their entry." Xander panted. "The smell of oil hid their own scent."

"They tricked us?" Buffy asked as she stared at the screen. "They are not this intelligent, what…?"

"We've been falling in their traps." Giles whispered, seeing how the vampires were about to reach level 4, where the unsuspecting slayers and watchers were resting.

Xander managed to find his station and quickly plugged his headphones and microphone into Willow's station.

"All stations! The Council's integrity has been compromised! I repeat, the Council's security has been breached, fall back into formation, fall back…!"

Xander thanked God he couldn't see, when he heard the gasps and Buffy's footsteps as she left the room the moment they saw a battalion of turok hans enter level 4 and attack the unprotected slayers.

End of Chapter


	43. Free Falling

**Chapter 42**

**Free Falling**

**A/N: **Chapter forty two of the series. I don't know who is still reading this. According to I have received quite a few hits (over 1,800), and I know that doesn't necessary guarantee a review, but that would give me an idea of whether there is someone out there still reading this. I received written confirmation from Carol and the ever faithful Igore. Thank you both for your recent reviews. It keeps me writing this story.

**Disclaimer:** All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved on airing the shows. Original characters are mine.

**Feedback:** Sure, that'd be great.

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London, England

The Watcher's Council

December 2017

Later on in her life Willow would say the chaos on that awful December night had lasted hours, but in reality, the attack took mere minutes.

Buffy had left the room in a hurry, closely followed by Faith, who'd only had time to whisper her lover's name before charging hard behind her fellow slayer, headed downstairs to help their sisters and watchers in a deadly fight against the primitive slayers.

Willow, on the other hand, had stayed behind to try to unlock the safety measures keeping the slayers and watchers trapped inside the 'safe' building with the raving turok hans, Xander at his side, unsure of what to do.

-----------------------

"How the hell did this happen?" Faith asked, leaping four stairs at a time as she followed Buffy.

"Damned if I know." Buffy replied as she looked around to see if there was anything that could be used as a weapon. "Didn't happen to bring a sword with you, right?"

"Sorry, B." Faith replied. "Don't remember where I left it."

"Still got a stake, don't you?" Buffy asked again.

"Yeah." Faith reached into her back and pulled the stake held by her pants' waistband. "Got it."

"Good, let's go to work."

The two slayers appeared on the battleground just to see the slayers had managed to fend off the first attack, but they also noticed several watchers dead on the floor. Buffy felt something twist in her stomach, but knew she had to shut herself off from her feelings if she wanted to get through the battle alive. She felt the link that connected every slayer and was washed in the heat of the battle and frightened by the fear felt by many girls there.

"You all have to keep fighting!" She screamed as she punched a turok han and jammed her stake on the eye of another one. "Focus your attack on the necks! They can die if beheaded!"

The slayers acknowledged her words and they focused their attacks on the only weak spot the primitive vampires possessed. Buffy looked at the windows, still blocked by hard steel, keeping them trapped inside.

-----------------------

"How are those blocks going?" Giles asked, looking at the screen and feeling a growing pain in his chest whenever he saw any watcher fall or any slayer injured. "Please, Will, tell me you've got it covered."

"I'm doing my best!" Willow said, carrying the override manuals locked in her old office. A bead of sweat covered her head as she went through the volumes as fast as she could, typing furiously on her station, hoping to override the security system.

"It would be easier if I absorbed the book." She said, remembering how she had once been able to absorb the knowledge of books just by touching them.

"Con you do it without going into the dark side?" Xander asked. Willow thought about it for a moment and looked at Giles.

"I'm going to try it. If you see my eyes roll back or the black eyed thing, then slap me on the head or knock me down, ok?" She asked. Giles nodded but quickly stood up behind her.

"I know you can do this." He said. "We trust you."

Willow nodded and began the incantation, carefully using words that wouldn't dab on the side of dark magic. Fortunately, the spell began to work and soon her skin was grafted with many tiny words, her hair the same color as ever and her eyes the usual green.

"Whoa." She said, rubbing her eyes. "I had forgotten how that feels."

"I'm sorry for being insensitive, Will, but…"

"I'm on it." She interrupted Giles. "I know how to override the system. Unfortunately it will take me about four minutes."

"The girls down there don't have that much." He sighed. "Is there something else we can do?"

"I'm sorry." Willow turned sad eyes to him as her fingers began typing. "I'll do my best."

"It's all right, dear." Giles said, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Anything you need, we're right here."

----------------------

Faith had picked up a broken sword from the blood stained floor, and tried not to imagine whose slayer's sword it had been. She swung it back and forth, beheading as many vampires as she could. She momentarily looked around, trying to find Robin in the midst of all the violence and struggle. She also knew they would have done anything to stop the vampires to climb further and to try to push them back into the sub levels, which led her to believe Robin had been one of the first to attack back.

Faith pushed her way towards the other end of the stairs, where the turok hans had entered the level. She grunted when a vampire tackled her and sent both of them tumbling over a turned desk and head first into a steel covered window. She felt her head crack and struck back with all her strength, managing to behead the turok han trying to strangle her. The dust settled around and she gasped again when she saw Robin lying on the floor, in the middle of a puddle of blood. All the air left her lungs and her head began spinning as she tried to take a few steps. She knelt in front of her fallen partner and turned him around. She thanked God when she realized the blood wasn't his, and immediately felt bad when she saw the watcher whose blood had bathed Robin.

"Faith! Were are you?" Buffy screamed. "What are you doing?"

"Over here!" Faith shouted as she cradled Robin's head. "Found Robin!"

"Is he all right?"

"He'll live."

"Good, then come help!"

Faith nodded, kissed Robin's forehead, picked her sword and once again joined the fray.

----------------------

"Thirty seconds, Giles!" Willow said, her finger moving inhumanly fast. "Let's hope this countermeasures are good and the building will let us out."

"Good. All windows will be open as well, right?" Giles asked. Willow nodded and Giles finally sat back on his chair. "Xander, I don't want to look, but I have to know. How many fallen?"

"I…I don't know for sure." Xander replied. "There's too much noise. Too much blood and vampire dust in the air. I hear only the battle…I…I'm not sure."

"Damn." Giles sighed. "All this time, we were falling in their traps. Their tricks worked perfectly." He ran his hands through his head and sighed again.

"We should have listened to Wesley." He said. "We tried to stop this but more people died. We let it all get out of control and now the army will strike harder."

"We don't know for sure." Xander offered.

"I think it's sure." Giles said. "I've been trying to reach General Ross, but I've received no answer."

"That could mean a lot of things." Xander said.

"Or it could mean he has finally taken action." Giles countered. "Which is worse than it sounds."

"Guys!" Willow shouted. "The countermeasures are in. The doors and windows should open in the next ten to fifteen seconds!"

"Thank God." Giles sighed. "Very good, Will. Dawn, use the microphone and let the slayers know the security measures have been lifted and…"

Giles looked up and scanned the entire room. He looked at Willow and then at Xander, who was silent and confused.

"Where the hell are they?" Giles asked. "Where have Dawn and Annie gone?"

----------------------

Dawn almost tripped on the stairs as she was running behind a faster Annie.

"God damn it, kid! I'm not your fucking babysitter!" Dawn shouted. "Stop running!"

Annie heard her aunt but had also heard Willow talk. The redhead had said it would take her almost five minutes to unlock the steel doors and windows, which left the turok hans with three more minutes they needed to hurt the slayers.

So Annie ignored her aunt's words and ran faster, knowing Dawn wouldn't be able to catch her on time before she go to the sub level.

Dawn, on the other hand, realized the same thing and thought of something else. She stopped running on and instead headed to the elevators. She knew there was some amount of power and decided the fastest route between two points was a straight line, up and down.

-------------------------

Annie frowned when she no longer could hear the footsteps of her aunt, but rationalized she had either tired or would try to reach her through another route. She pushed that out of her mind when she reached level 4 and could hear the sounds of battle. She smiled when the doors began humming and slowly whirl to the side.

'Way to go, Aunt Willow!' She thought before wielding harder the sword she'd picked up from her grandfather's office and charged inside the room.

Her bravado was cut short momentarily when she saw the violent struggle going on inside the now blood covered room.

'Oh mum, I understand now.' She thought as she saw two turok hans noticing her. 'I'm sorry, but I have to do something.'

The vampires struck at her, but the years of sparring with Connor had improved her reflexes and her fighting instincts, which allowed her to duck and avoid the fists of the vampires, and struck back with her sword.

Her strength, combined with her desperation and the sudden adrenaline rush allowed her to slice the sword through one of the vampires' arms and directly behead the other. Annie rolled and struck again, this time loping off the remaining vampire's leg. The turok han growled and fell hard into the ground, it's hands clawing at Annie's own legs. The blonde girl leapt back and turned to find herself in the middle of the fight. The slayers still hadn't had the time to notice the now fully open windows, their possible means for an escape.

Annie looked around, trying to find her mother in the middle of the melee, but failing because of the massive amount of fighters on the reduced space. Annie sighed and leapt atop the same turned desk Faith had seen Robin lying next to, and shouted with all she got.

"Turn around! The windows are fully open!"

Some slayers turned around and some cheers were listened. Annie quickly jumped out of the way when two slayers tossed mangled turok hans out of the window, and some others seemed to be contemplating the idea of jumping out into the street.

"Annie?" Buffy suddenly shouted as she had beheaded a turok han. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Annie smirked and lifted her sword. "Trying to help, mum!" And to demonstrate, Annie beheaded a turok han that was in the middle of a fight against another slayer. The aid was thoroughly appreciated as the slayer smiled and swatted Annie's behind.

"Hell of a girl you've got, boss!" The slayer said as she ran past Buffy to help other fighters. "Hell of a girl."

Buffy smiled at the compliment and headed towards her daughter, fending off a couple of turok hans before finally standing next to her.

"Ok, you've proved your point. Now get upstairs and go with your grandfather." Buffy said, looking around to assess the damage and the well being of her slayers.

"But mum, there are still a lot of vampires here, and…"

"I said up!" Buffy interrupted her daughter. "I know you can help, but I don't want you fighting on closed quarters!"

"The windows are open, mum! We can get out the moment we…"

Annie didn't finish her sentence when four turok hans charged Buffy and her. The elder slayer kicked one in the stomach, but the rush of the other three pushed the doubled over vampire into her sword, effectively stopping her from using it against the others. Annie quickly struck with her sword, but it caught a vampire's shoulder, instead of its neck. She only had the time to look at her mother's eyes when they were both tossed out of the window and into the street four levels below.

End of Chapter


	44. The Wall

**Chapter 43**

**The Wall**

**A/N: **Chapter forty three of the series.

**Disclaimer:** All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback:** Sure, as you wish.

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London, England

The Watcher's Council

December 2017

Wesley, Illyria and Connor had arrived when the steel doors of the Council had already been shut. They had cursed and felt useless when feeling the vampires running amok inside the building.

Illyria had even tried to pry one of the steel doors off, but the Council had built those doors to last, and had even been tested by her.

"Our security has turned around and bit us in the ass, right?" Connor asked, as he had once again tried to rip the doors next to Illyria.

"It is useless." Wesley said. "You shouldn't exert yourselves. When the turok hans are done with everyone inside, we'll be the ones left standing."

"You seem certain that everyone inside the structure will perish." Illyria mentioned. "What makes you so sure?"

"Are you not feeling how many turok hans are inside?" He asked. "Without being able to feel them, and trapped in closed quarters, the slayers will have a hard time fending them off."

"Slayers are stronger."

"But they get tired." Wesley countered. "A turok han will last longer, and locked inside, there is no sunlight to harm them. There is no napalm to get inside."

"Well, out here, we're sitting ducks with the dragons circling the city." Connor said. "So, shouldn't we be a bit more worried about winged death up there?"

"They haven't seen us yet." Wesley replied. "Or smelt us. The fire is probably exciting them, and I guess the army will soon send them more toys to play with."

"When you speak like that you freak me out, man." Connor said. "The fire excites dragons? Gross."

"Why hasn't this city exploded yet?" Illyria asked, looking around. "This fire doesn't end, and the flammable fuels you use should have been ignited already."

"Safety measures." He answered Illyria's question. "When the fires began, the gas supply must have been shut off. When the army decided to throw napalm, I guess they must have already purged most of the volatile gas out of the underground tunnels."

"Oh."

"Now, what are we going to do?" Connor asked. "Should we try to get inside the same way the turok hans did?"

"That's an option, but…"

Wesley's words were cut short when he heard and saw the steel doors slowly opening.

"Looks like they managed to find a way to override the security system." Wesley said. "Come on, let's get inside."

They had already gotten inside when some turok hans began leaping out of the windows, and some others were more accurately tossed out.

------------------------

Buffy Anne Summers wished flying was one of the slayers' powers.

Her mind raced unchecked through the past thirty seconds, when she'd seen her daughter in the very same room where watchers and slayers were fighting and dying against turok hans. She'd seen her daughter slay and had been complimented by a fellow slayer.

But when she'd tried to get her daughter to safety, the usual had occurred, and both of them had been tossed outside through one of the recently opened windows.

She had fallen like this before, her body and mind remembering every moment of the downward spiral. The sudden lack of solid ground under her feet, the fleeting moment of weightlessness and then the quick and harsh pull of gravity towards the hard cement below.

She heard her daughter's scream as the girl tried to grab her mother's hand, and Buffy twisted and kicked in mid air to get away from the vampires and closer to her child. The moment her hands met a sudden idea clicked on Buffy's mind, and she wondered if she had the time to pull the stunt. Using her strength and slayer speed, she quickly pulled her daughter to her and embraced her, twisting in mid air and shooting her hand out to grab the nearest vampire. True to their instincts, the moment she grabbed something, the vampire twisted and bit into her arm.

Buffy smiled and pulled her arm behind, still twisting and effectively making the vampire twist as well and grab her.

She thanked God for small favors as she was sure the turok han was trying to bite her while on her back, and like a cat, Buffy ignored all her instincts telling her to turn and fall on her feet.

The actions had taken her less than three seconds, and half a second later, the turok han, Buffy and Annie smashed into the floor in front of the Council's main entrance.

------------------------

Faith kept fighting on level 4, angered at the thought of being caught so easily on a trap and double worried because of Robin's unconsciousness. She knew he was still alive because they were still fighting, but she also feared there were much more turok hans coming out of the hole in the Council's bottom and there weren't enough slayers to fight them. She had seen five slayers dead already and her mind had flashed once again to the cavern back in Sunnydale.

'Too bad I don't have the amulet anymore.' She thought as she ducked and heard the whoosh of the sword one of the turok hans had picked up. Desperation began to set in and she kicked the vampire as hard as she could, feeling her leg numb from the violent impact and turned to keep fighting. She frowned when she didn't hear the distinct thud of an enemy hitting the ground or the wall, and a sudden gust of very warm air made her turn around. To her surprise, the windows were no longer covered by steel and some slayers had begun tossing the turok hans outside. Faith instantly knew that was a foolish idea, because the vampires would survive the fall and would only run back inside, but it was buying them time.

"Everyone! Fall back to the center of the room!" She shouted. The remaining slayers and watchers nodded and made their way towards the center. Once they were all inside the circle, Faith ordered them to push outside and send the turok hans out of the building.

Unknown to her, the vampires thrown off the building were falling next to a slowly recuperating slayer and her daughter.

------------------------

A four story fall wouldn't kill a slayer, but it would stun her to the degree of being open to any attack and quite vulnerable. Buffy knew that from the moment she'd been airborne, but the safety of her daughter had been first and foremost, causing her to improvise and use the turok han as a landing device.

Seconds after their fall, both Buffy and Annie had rolled from over the mangled turok han and stretched, feeling the bones pop in place and the ache of the sudden impact dissipate.

"Are you all right, mum?" Annie asked, surprising Buffy with the easy way she moved even after falling from that height.

"The wind got knocked out of me, but yeah, I'm all right." Buffy said, clutching her chest, sure she had broken a rib. "Now, the next time I tell you to run for cover, what will you do?"

"Mum, come on…"

"I said, what will you do!" Buffy shouted, feeling her patience evaporate.

"I will run for cover." Annie whispered. "I'm sorry, mum, I didn't want you to get hurt."

"Being sorry gets people killed, Anne." Buffy said, hiding her fear with anger. "You wanted my life? This is it. This is what happened for years before you were born and years after. My job gets me to see dead people every night. My choices gets even more people killed, but it's all for the mission. I can't worry about you while I'm doing my job, and if I worry about you I can't fight the mission, dammit!"

Annie could only look away, ashamed and feeling sorry for not listening to her mother.

"Now let's get back inside and find a way to get out of this mess!" She said and began walking back in, not bothering to hear her daughter's reply and dragging her by the hand.

"Uh, mum…"

"Not. A. Word."

Annie cringed but had to make her mother see what she was seeing.

"Mum, look around!" She shouted, causing Buffy to turn around. The slayer was about to shout at her daughter when she noticed the rest of the fallen turok hans stand and begin circling them.

"Oh great." Buffy stomped her foot on the ground. "Damn. Damn!"

Annie felt even worse, knowing she had brought this on herself, and had dragged her mother next to her.

"I'm really sorry, mum." She whispered. "I didn't want this to happen…"  
"It doesn't matter anymore." Buffy said. "It's better that it's the two of us." Buffy pulled Annie's hand and placed her behind her.

"We'll have to fight alone." Buffy said. "We're too far down for anyone to listen to us."

"Let's make a run for it." Annie said.

"Too far, but you're right, we're going to have to run for it." Buffy replied. "Since it'd be stupid to be in denial anymore, I'm gonna have to trust you."

Buffy turned around and hazel eyes met blue ones.

"If we get out of this alive, remind me to tell you a story, ok?" Buffy said. "Of someone I met years ago. Someone who had eyes just like yours."

"Mum?"

"Now, what side are you more comfortable in fighting?" The slayer asked. "I personally feel better if I fight on the right side, since I'm right handed, but you're right handed as well so…"

"The left's all right." Annie replied, looking at the menacing vampires closing on them. "Mum, can I ask you something?"

"What up, kiddo?"

"Why were you so upset when I wore that leather jacket?" Annie asked. "It was yours, right?"

Buffy hesitated and looked at the vampires surrounding her. She sighed and remembered all those nights when Spike had been by her side and had helped her patrol, feeling the same sense of security she had now with her daughter by her side.

"No, kid, it wasn't mine." Buffy replied. "It belonged to a slayer once, and later on to a…, to someone close to me."

"It was dad's?"

Buffy smiled and tried to imagine Angel in the long black duster.

"No, dear, it was someone else's."

"Oh." Annie shrugged. "You'll tell me who it belonged to?"

"Let's get out of this together, and I'll tell you."

Annie nodded, and without waiting for her mother's signal, Annie launched a vicious attack against the nearest turok han on her left. The motion surprised both Buffy and the vampire, and the slayer smiled when she saw Annie adjusting to the battle field, striking as if she was left handed.

Buffy seized the opportunity and struck against the turok hans on her right, managing to kick one of them and tossing it against three advancing turok hans. She turned around to give her daughter the heads up but Annie was already advancing between the clutches and bites of the primitive vampires.

Buffy saw Angel's fighting style on her daughter, undoubtedly passed along by Connor's teachings and their constant spars, and Buffy felt pride in her daughter and decided she'd train Annie herself.

Yet the two of them didn't get too far because turok hans were still falling from the Council's windows, unbeknownst to the slayers fighting up there.

"Annie! To the side!" Buffy shouted, wanting her daughter to escape rather than find herself in the middle of a turok han army. Annie did jump to the side, but found herself immediately surrounded by vampires. Buffy began panicking and forgot the plan and went to aid her daughter. She punched and kicked fiercely and managed to find her way towards her daughter, but once again, without her 'spidey' sense, she was wide open for sneak attacks. A turok han slammed both his fists into Buffy's upper back, sending her straight to the ground and smacking her lip on the cold cement. Buffy tasted blood and was disoriented for a second, but managed to sweep the legs of her attacker and slammed her knee on it's face, smashing it inwards. She crawled on all fours, trying to get the impulse needed to get through the increasing wall of turok hans surrounding her daughter.

On the other side of the vampire wall, Annie kept punching and kicking, but she soon found out that Connor's stomach was far softer and a more vulnerable spot than the turok han's abdomen.

She punched hard again, and felt the satisfying crack of the vampire's nose and neck, and kicked it on the groin, sending him flying against the gathering vampires behind him.

Beginning to feel tired, Annie looked everywhere, trying to find a way to leave the maze suddenly formed by many vampires. She even sought the ground, looking for a make shift weapon or anything to use against her enemies. She didn't even want to call out for her mother, thinking she might have managed to get into the building and would come out any second wielding a large sword or a wicked looking knife.

She threw more punches but the turok hans were already invading her personal space and she once again regretted having left her home earlier in the afternoon.

One of the turok hans threw a punch at her kidney and doubled her backwards from the pain. Another one punched her face and she almost lost consciousness.

Strong and defiant, Annie struggled to stay upright, but the impact to her head had done little to aid her balance and she had to kneel in front of the vampires.

"Sod it all." She coughed. "Muum!" She screamed.

Kicking and punching, Buffy had already peeled the skin off her knuckles, trying to make her way through the mass of vampires in front of her. Exhausted and bleeding, Buffy picked up a large piece of rock and threw it at the vampires with all her strength. She felt something tear in her lower back, but her effort paid off, as a clear view of her daughter was shown in front of her.

Instead of a sigh of relief, an almost inhuman shriek of horror escaped Buffy's throat when she saw a turok han open wide his mouth, his large fangs gleaming with the light of fire, and closing it around Annie's neck.

End of Chapter.


	45. It's Always Blood

**Chapter 44**

**It's Always Blood**

**A/N:** Chapter forty four of the series.

**Disclaimer:** All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback:** Sure, that'd be great.

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London, England

The Watcher's Council

December 2017

Dawn thought she was about to faint when the elevator's headlights flickered and the metal cabin shuddered. Dawn's reaction time surprised even her as she leapt forward and pushed the 'emergency' marked button. The elevator seemed to lurch back and forth, stopping in it's tracks before dying and all lights went off.

"Shit." Dawn whispered. She quickly held her breath and hoped no sounds of screeching metal or snapping cables were heard. After a few seconds, she finally let out the gush of air she'd been holding and began thinking about what to do. Sighing, she tried pulling apart the steel doors until one of her nails gave off and she cursed. Wiping the sweat already forming on her forehead, she once again tried and pushed harder until the doors finally gave.

Dawn once again held her breath as she could clearly hear the noises of the battle downstairs. She figured she had only gone down one floor, since she had not pushed the doors open to a massive battlefield or into the face of a deadly prehistoric vampire. She frowned and leapt out of the dead elevator and sprinted towards the nearest stairs.

She didn't want to think about what her sister would do to her once the flames went down. She had already lost Annie twice in the same day, and the kid had found herself in the middle of all the hysteria.

Her mind drifted and tried to find a reason to why the elevator had died on her, focusing on the things she could understand and getting her mind off the anxiety she had been feeling.

'Come on, Annie.' She thought. 'Please be all right. Please be safe.'

------------------------

Buff had understood that the city had fallen and now belonged to the turok hans and the dragons circling above the minute they had fallen outside the Council's safety.

She had understood how everything had gone wrong and there were overwhelming odds.

But she didn't understand the image relied and analyzed on her brain where a turok han had decided to bite into her daughter's neck.

The pain on Buffy's body suddenly disappeared, as a different level of consciousness suddenly clicked on her mind. The perception of time and space shifted and everything on Buffy's world became the path between her and her daughter. Moving faster than ever before, Buffy leapt forward, her mind ignoring the searing pain on her lower back and the pulled muscle on her left calf and instead focusing on the space between her and her nearest target.

Buffy threw a right punch and her mind frowned when the vampire didn't react as it usually did. The impact tore more skin from Buffy's knuckles, but it also dislodged the turok han's mandible, sending it flying away. Buffy realized the vampire was moving slower than before, as if the creature was moving underwater, and used this to her advantage and delivered a roundhouse kick that almost severed the vampire's upper half from the lower portion, only the skin preventing the vampire to be torn in two.

Buffy moved to her left and assessed her next target, two turok hans ten feet from her daughter. By pure instinct, she opened her left hand, crouched, and in a cutting motion drove her hand through the four knees of the vampires, effectively severing them and sending the vampires tumbling to the ground.

Buffy didn't even look around to know two vampires had leapt at her, and rolled underneath them and somersaulted towards a mangled street sign. In a fluid motion, Buffy tore the metal pole from the ground and hurled it at the still airborne vampires. As soon as the creatures' feet touched the ground, they found themselves impaled by the improvised projectile, embedding on their sides and impaling them into the wall.

Buffy did not see any of that happen, for as soon as she threw the metal pole she had already ran full sprint towards the four remaining turok hans between her and her child.

Growling much like a creature of the night, Buffy tucked her arms and charged at the vampires, who once again moved too slow for her taste and didn't react in time to avoid the small human missile targeted at them. The slayer felt the satisfying crack of bones as she impacted the first turok han and moments later felt the four bodies flying through the air.

Unbeknownst to her, the whole fight had taken less than four seconds and she had managed to maul all the vampires on her path. She still felt energy coursing through her body, much like the spell her friends had used ages ago when fighting the seemingly invincible cyborg Adam. Her eyes were still relying information on a different level and she quickly identified all the threats around her daughter and the fastest route to escape.

Still, the different level of perception changed as soon as her eyes fell on the creature whose mouth was attached to her daughter's neck. Red filled her vision and once again the pain was the furthest thing from her mind and all other thoughts vanished. Buffy growled again and launched herself, missile-like, towards the dangerous creature draining Annie of her blood, only to find herself caught in mid air by three turok hans.

Her mind wildly changed perceptions and she cursed as the altered reality had faded when she'd laid eyes on her daughter. Her unnatural speed and massive strength was quickly diminishing and she couldn't find the leverage enough to toss the three vampires off her.

She felt tears of anger course through her face and she implored God for the strange power she'd felt seconds ago. The three vampires had seen what the small human had done and they used their combined strength to push her down. The pain in her lower back and her torn muscle made an encore and she felt her knees buckle.

'God, no!' She thought, nearly panicking. 'Please, no, let me help my baby, please!'

One vampire slashed at her face with his claws as another one kicked her right knee. Buffy cried out in rage rather than pain and her slender frame finally gave up and she fell face first into the warm concrete. Her higher state of consciousness faded and she once again felt all the pain in her body and was made aware of the dangers still around her.

Flames were almost thirteen feet high and the smell of napalm still covered the city. Screams and growls filled the air and her eyes couldn't fin her daughter. Buffy panicked and struggled like a fish on the bottom of a boat, unable to do anything but wiggle under the combined weight and strength of the turok hans.

More tears found their way down her face and Buffy felt her resolve fade away and screamed.

-----------------

Annie had never been bitten in her life, unlike her mother and other slayers.

She found the bite unusually painless, as the turok han's fangs had been so sharp the pain felt like the prickle of a needle.

Annie struggled but her mind flashed a warning received ages ago.

'If a vampire bites you, don't struggle or lash around.' Someone had told her. 'The vampire will only bite harder and you could get your throat ripped apart.'

Annie remembered but frowned at the same time. She pulled her arms from underneath the vampire and grabbed it's head, not remembering what was she supposed to do to get the vampire off of her.

Immersed in her thoughts, she didn't realize the vampire had stopped sucking her blood and now had a strange look on its face. The other turok hans growled and seemed to communicate something with their growls and grunts and visual contact between them. Annie frowned when she felt how the vampire's fangs slowly left her skin and the mouth eased it's hold on her. Annie blinked and carefully pushed the vampire away. The hideous face stared at her as it carefully tasted the blood on its mouth. The turok han wiped the excess of blood from its mouth with one hand, and roughly wiped the blood from Annie's neck with his other hand. Annie tumbled down into the ground and her hands shot up to her neck, trying to ease the blood flow.

The other vampires surrounding her grew agitated and growled again, jumping on the balls of their feet and itching to finish the tasty morsel lying at their feet. The turok han next to Annie growled and the others fell silent.

Watching in rapt fascination, Annie's mind forgot about the pain on her neck and began watching carefully the vampires. The fire and the destruction had been forgotten and they were all now paying attention to her. Two more turok hans stepped forward and approached the first offending vampire. One of them jammed a razor sharp finger into the blood smeared hand of the turok han, and the other mimicked the action. Annie flinched when they all began growling but frowned when the two new turok hans licked the blood off their fingers. Curious like cats, the other turok hans approached the one that had bitten her and licked a small amount of blood on each of the turok han's hands. They all growled and turned to look at her questioningly.

---------------------

The vampires on top of Buffy heard the commotion and looked at each other, and the slayer could swear she'd seen looks of confusion on the inhuman faces.

The vampires slowly lifted themselves off of her and walked to where Buffy knew her daughter was. A pang of pain stabbed her heart, as she figured the vampires were hungry and wanted a taste of the fallen human. Buffy felt the bile rise as intense pain cursed through her body.

'My baby!' She thought. 'These monsters ate my baby!'

She felt rage and power course once again through her and tried to stand up. The three turok hans once again seemed to move slower and she took their heads with her bare hands before limping to where she had seen Annie fall.

'Don't touch her!' She thought, too immersed in her pain and rage to talk. 'Don't you dare touch her!'

More tears and sobs came to her as she limped towards the now quiet vampires.

'Don'ttouchherdon'ttouchheri'llkillyouallmybabyisgoneshe'sgone!' Her mind ran crazy and she thought the pain would tumble her down, but she would not let the monsters touch her baby again.

"Don't touch her!" She finally screamed and tore in half the two vampires blocking her view from her daughter's body.

Buffy received another shock as she saw what the other turok hans were seeing, and she would have fainted if she had known it would be the first of many shocks to come.

-------------------

Annie felt the blood slow down and she thanked God for her quick healing. There was only now the prickling sensation on her neck and she knew it would remain a sensitive spot forever. She looked around and heard more growls and suddenly a spray of inhuman blood fell at her feet when the two vampires that had first tasted the blood from the other turok han's hands exploded in front of her.

Annie's eyes grew large as she saw her mother, bruised and limping, appear behind the now mangled turok hans.

Her mother's eyes grew as large as hers and the slayer knelt down, not believing what she was seeing.

"Mum!" She choked, and crawled toward her mother. Buffy couldn't believe what she was seeing so she only opened her arms and hugged her daughter as soon as she could touch her.

"You're ok!" Buffy whispered. "My God, you're all right!"

Tears of happiness ran through both the Summers' faces but soon instinct took over and the fight or flight impulse appeared.

"We have to get out of here." Buffy whispered. "I don't know why they're not attacking but we have to get out of here."

Both of them stood up, and had not taken one step forward when the turok hans growled and surrounded them again.

"Shit." Buffy muttered. She looked around and hoped the sudden spikes of power were a voluntary reaction. She tried to pull the sensation back, but she only felt exhaustion and pain cursing through her entire body.

"Mum?" Annie asked, her hand instantly clasping around her mother's.

"It's all right, kiddo." Buffy said. "I won't let them touch you again." She hissed. Her hand squeezed her daughter's, and if not for their enhanced strength, they would have both shattered their bones.

"I don't think we can make it." Annie whispered. "I don't feel very well."

"I don't think they took much blood." Buffy said, daring a quick look at her daughter. "You look a bit pale, that's all."

Annie tried to smile, but the increasing grip on her hand told her everything she needed to know. She looked at her mother and saw the numerous injuries and the blood stained clothes.

"You're so hurt." Annie whispered, and now allowed more tears to fall. "I'm really sorry, mum."

Buffy caressed her daughter's head and kissed her forehead.

"It's all right, baby." She whispered. "It's all right. It will be all right."

Buffy felt her knees give and both Summers women slowly knelt into the ground. Buffy looked around, trying to find a way to get out of the mess, but all she could see were turok hans and fire. She closed her eyes and willed everything to end quickly.

Annie, on the other hand, opened her eyes wide and saw how her mother sighed and closed her eyes. Annie shook her head and immense guilt coursed through her entire body.

'If I hadn't left home.' She thought. 'If I had obeyed. If I only hadn't run away.'

A new resolve coursed through her and she vowed her mother wouldn't die there.

'You will not die.' Annie thought. 'We will not die here.'

Annie slowly disentangled herself from her mother, who immediately opened her eyes and tried to grab her daughter.

"Annie…!"

"It's all right, mum, like you said." Annie replied, her eyes suddenly cold and the muscle on her jaw twitching. "Everything will be ok."

Staring into each turok hans' eyes, Annie dragged herself to where she'd seen her sword fall. She took the weapon, gripped it tightly and slowly but surely stood up.

"Annie…!" Buffy said again, and tried to stand up, but her injured leg wouldn't let her. "Dammit!"

"It'll be all right." Annie whispered, a tear running down her face. "They won't get us, mum. They won't."

The turok hans looked at each other and low growls began emerging from their throats. Annie heard them and felt her stomach turn around and twirl many times.

"You want this?" She said, rubbing her hand through the wound on her neck. She extended her blood smeared hands and waved at them. "You want it? You want it!"

The turok hans growled full force and crept menacingly towards her.

"Come and get it." She whispered and pointed her sword up. The turok hans fell silent and something primal inside Annie woke up and she howled as she lifted her sword in the air.

The turok hans looked at her and did the thing the slayer and her daughter least expected.

The vampires growled and knelt in front of Annie.

London now belonged to the slayer's daughter.

End of Chapter


	46. Down Under

**Chapter 45**

**Down Under**

**A/N:** Chapter forty five of the series. Something different this time. I needed something to get me back on track, and this long chapter is it. It does fit with the overall continuity, as it is not entirely filler.

**Disclaimer:** All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved on airing the shows.

**Feedback:** Sure, that'd be great. The email is on the fanfiction profile page.

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Canberra, Australia

December 2017

Canberra, capital city of Australia, saw the beginning of a new day.

The largest inland city in the whole territory, with a population of over 320,000 inhabitants, it was certainly bound to have its own population of demons and vampires roaming.

Katherine Josephine Pryde, nicknamed "shadowcat" by her comic book obsessed friends, had been a slayer for the past seven years.

Katherine, like most slayers, didn't use any means of transportation, and instead used her own legs when patrolling. This slayer was practically the best in the entire Commonwealth of Australia, being a member of the ADF, the Australian Defence Force. Rupert Giles, head watcher of the new Council, had seen the potential of the Australian Army Lieutenant and had sent one of the best slayers to train her.

Faith had done an excellent job, as Katherine was certainly feared in all the continent, earning herself the nickname reserved for the greatest predator to swim the oceans.

White Death.

Katherine smiled and stretched her muscles, finally allowing herself a deep breath after slaying all night. Canberra's surrounding bushland presented a safe haven for all sorts of creatures of the night, and she seriously hoped someone erected an electrified fence around the swamp. Looking down at her feet, she saw how different demon goo looked in the sun. Katherine rubbed her tired eyes and sought a place to rest. Spotting a nearby city bench, she sat down and rubbed her right leg, where the fyarl had kicked her earlier. She sighed and shook her head, wondering where all her military training and her slayer prowess had gone that moment.

At 7:00 am, the day was well on its tracks, and Katherine knew she had to go home immediately. She was tired of explaining the bruises and the blood and the sort of different liquids and organic remains on her clothes.

Katherine shook her head again and ran her hands through her blonde hair. Her blue eyes shot open when she realized she had only smeared more of the piece of weird looking purple brain that had fallen on her head when she slaughtered the foul smelling thing.

She resisted the urge to squeal like a child and instead stood up and began walking again. Contrary to most slayers, Katherine had a full figure. She had forgotten the teenage anxiety of remaining slim and had realized most men preferred their women with some flesh on their bones, and Katherine knew her figure was the right balance between bone, muscle and fat.

Looking over the park, she saw Lake Burley Griffin, and thought for a moment she would really like to jump in there and scrub the offending remains off her hair and clothes. Deciding against it, Katherine instead took the route the street savvy Buffy Summers had once taught every slayer.

'In case of emergency, use the sewers. Every city of the world has them and they're quite safe during the day.'

Katherine didn't like the suggestion at first, but she and her slayers had made the sewers in Canberra the safest place in the whole city.

Not the cleanest or the most fresh smelling, but it was safe for all of them. Funny, but the sewers were slayer-territory, and every demon who dared set foot in them was dead in less than five minutes.

Katherine sighed and hoped no one saw her climb down a man hole, her reputation all too damaged from going in and out at all times at night.

---------------

Every slayer had augmented senses, but slayers couldn't see in the dark as well as most demons did, so they had installed neon lights on certain well positioned spots to help them move and fight if the need should arise. Katherine began counting the lights separating her from home.

She knew she was somewhere beneath the Civic Centre, so she had to take Commonwealth avenue and head to Kings Avenue and find her way from there.

She was heading towards Wooden Valley when she sensed something wasn't quite correct. Taking a few moments to focus, she realized there was an enemy on their ground. Katherine frowned, thinking someone should have already noticed, as there was always someone on sewer watch, or rat watch, as rookie watchers sometimes referred to it.

Katherine grimaced and took her knife out, trying to ease the unexpected sickness on her stomach.

'Shouldn't have eaten that hot dog.' She thought, not knowing if the uneasiness was because of the junk food or because of the lack of food whatsoever.

"So nervous." A voice said from one of the tunnels.

Katherine almost jumped out of her skin and turned to where she'd heard the voice. She narrowed her eyes as she noticed the broken neon lights through the tunnel. She would have to tear a new hole into the guys in charge of rat watch.

"Didn't think you slayers liked the sewers." The voice was heard again, this time closer. Katherine concentrated and her slayer sense tingled after a while. A small bead of sweat ran through her back and disappeared beneath her waistline. How the hell had the vampire gotten so close without her noticing?

"Bet you're wondering why you didn't feel me before." The voice floated to her, closer again. "If it's of any comfort, the watchers and the other slayer didn't feel me as well."

Katherine felt her stomach turn again, but didn't fall for the bait.

"There's only one of you." Katherine said. "You were no match for Sahara."

"So that was her name." The male voice said. "She fought well, even in the darkness."

Katherine shut out the vampire's voice and sought out the familiar tingle every slayer felt whenever they focused hard. She frowned again when she couldn't feel any slayer close.

"Reminded me of someone." The vampire continued. "A vicious fighting style. Taught by someone who did time."

"We were all trained by slayers." Katherine replied, trying to lure the vampire into the neon light. "And you'll soon learn that a vampire only gets to meet one."

A chuckle from the darkness infuriated her.

"I have met several." The vampire said. "Fought a lot of them. Killed a few."

Now Katherine chuckled.

"No vampire has killed a slayer." She replied. "I've never met one who could kill one."

"You've never seen a turok han, then." The vampire countered. "Nasty fellas. Bloody stupid nonetheless."

"As nice as this chit chat has been, care to take a step or two forward?" Katherine challenged.

"Ohh, afraid to fight in the dark?"

"It's all the same to me, but I like to see who I am fighting."

Another chuckle, and this time Katherine did hear footsteps on the tunnels.

"How annoyingly clean this sewers are." The vampire said as he stepped into the light. "Anal, actually."

Katherine saw the vampire and something told her she had seen him before, somewhere else.

"Lovely eyes, by the way." The vampire said, and Katherine immediately looked into his blue ones.

"Thank you. I like the hair." Katherine replied.

"Been looking like this for ages." The vampire said. "Kinda hard to accomplish it, yet. No reflection."

"Guess that could be a drag." Katherine said as she noticed a bead of blood running down the vampire's cheek. Looked like someone had taken a shot at him.

"Your girl friend did this, y'know." The vampire said, pointing at his cheek. "Good left cross. Took me on the blind side as I was bashing one of the watcher's head into the wall."

"Was thinking you made it 'cause you couldn't find your way in the dark." Katherine shot.

"Vampire, love." He replied. "Can see in the dark. Like a cat."

"I like cats."

"Met a witch who had a cat, once." The vampire said. "Lovely lass. Had this mother earth thing going for her. Bloody tasty, if you get what I mean."

"Crystal. Killed her?"

"A bullet did. The world almost ended because of it."

Katherine frowned. The vampire was confusing her, but he hadn't taken a step forward. She was about to speak when her cell phone rang. She ignored the sound, still focused on the too calm vampire.

"Aren't you going to get that?" He asked. Katherine chuckled one more time and took a dagger out from her boot.

"I'm gonna have to kill you first." She said. "Pity, it was almost a civil conversation."

"You may want to get that." The vampire countered. "Might be important."

Katherine's frown deepened and did find the insistence curious.

"Go ahead." The vampire said. "I won't move."

"Like I would believe you."

"Cross my heart and hope to…, oh bollocks, seriously, I won't move." The vampire said, and demonstrating his point, he sat down on the floor and took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.

Katherine's logic was almost shattered at that point. What was the vampire doing and why was she so freaked about it?

The constant ring pulled her back to the moment and she finally answered the thing.

"What?" She barked. Her eyes began moving furiously as the voice on the other end began describing things happening on the other side of the world. When Katherine hung up, she could feel one of her legs shaking and more sweat pouring down her spine.

"Bad news, love?" The vampire said, exhaling a puff of smoke. Katherine looked down at the sitting vampire and didn't know what to say.

"I…I have to go." She said, not knowing why she was explaining that.

"The Council, right?" The vampire said, standing up.

"How the hell did you know?" Katherine asked, gripping the dagger harder.

"Once again, vampire." He shrugged. "Can hear your heartbeat from here. Could hear everything said on your cell."

"Then you have to die." Katherine deadpanned. "You know too much. You could open your mouth."

"Nah." The vampire said, waiving his cigarette in the air. "I didn't have to hear the conversation to know what is happening."

"What?"

"Have you heard this song?" The vampire asked as he inhaled smoke. "London bridges falling down?"

Katherine threw her dagger with deadly accuracy, and only the quick reflexes of the vampire stopped it from jamming into his heart. The vampire jumped, whistled and suppressed a howl of pain as he looked at the dagger embedded on his shoulder.

"Good one, love." He said. "Fast. But you shouldn't have thrown your weapon away."

Katherine advanced on him and took out a stake from her other boot.

"Oh, commando girl." The vampire growled as he took out the dagger. "But looks like you threw the wrong weapon. The dagger is quite deadlier to you than it is to me."

"A momentary lapse." Katherine said as she threw a punch at him. "I'm tired. I've been slaying all night."

"Is that a piece of brain?" The vampire asked as he dodged a kick. "On your hair?"

Katherine cursed and felt self conscious.

"Shut up." She growled as well. "And stand still, damn it!"

The vampire chuckled again.

"You don't have an accent." He noted. "But you don't speak like an American."

"That's not of your business." Katherine said, and felt satisfaction as one of her punches finally connected.

"Bloody hell!" The vampire growled. "What is it with you slayers and my nose?"

"It's an easy target?" Katherine said and kicked the vampire on the stomach. The dagger fell from his hand as he flew a few feet into the dark tunnel. Katherine shook her head, knowing she had to take the fight into the light, not into the darkness.

"That was good." The vampire said, quickly coming out of the safety the dark provided. "But this is not a game."

Katherine nodded and went for the kill, throwing a quick succession of punches and kicks, all with the purpose of distracting the vampire from the deadly wooden stake held in her hand and drag his attention to her.

But this vampire wasn't falling for that, and was allowing several punches to hit the mark and not giving the opening needed for her to jam the stake into his heart.

"What's the matter with you?" She said. "Do you like being hit?"

"What part of 'vampire' have you not understood?" The vampire chuckled. "Plus, I kinda have a thing for slayers."

"Any attention is good attention?" Katherine asked as she kicked the empty air where the vampire had been an instant ago. "Dammit! Look, can we do this some other day?"

"What, not having fun?"

"Oh, no, it's been a great date, but something is indeed going down in London, and I have to…"

"Good choice of words, love." The vampire interrupted. "London is going down."

"Not if we stop it."

"A word of advice, slayer." The vampire said, the easiness on his face suddenly gone. "I don't know if the word went out, knowing Ripper and the metal rod up his ass, but the Council will be no more after tonight."

The vampire seemed to think about something and he shrugged.

"Or today, whatever. This is going on around the world, so, you get my meaning."  
Katherine frowned and the urgency of the situation began to dawn on her.

"You know what is happening there." She said.

"Told ya already." The vampire replied. "And, by the way, my name's Spike."

"Katherine." She replied.

"Nice name. You're quite a lovely lady, overall."

"Thank you. Now, what the hell are you talking about?"

"London will go down." Spike repeated. "Every slayer and watcher in there will die, as well as any other slayer foolish enough to go there."  
"You knew they would call for help." Katherine said, her eyes still narrow.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Spike replied, calm again. "A focused and hard attack on the source. Kill the head and the body fails."  
"I am wasting my time with you." Katherine said, raising her fists.

"No, you're not." Spike stopped her with his voice. "You're learning what's going on. And in case you haven't noticed, you can't kill me."

"Oh, I can." The slayer said, her voice dangerous. "And I will."

She threw a punch at him, but never saw both his hands move at the same time, his left hand catching her fist and his right hand punching her stomach.

Katherine felt the impact and was shocked for an instant before reacting. She threw a kick at his legs, but he merely pulled her hand towards him, making her tumble forward and hitting his leg with her own leg instead of with her booted foot.

Spike head butted Katherine's nose and she heard the bone crack and felt a rush of blood out of it. She threw a punch with her left hand, her eyes closed because of the impact, and smiled when she felt it connect.

"You punched my shoulder." Spike calmly said, before hitting her chest with his open palm. The impact sent her backwards, but the vampire was still holding her right fist, where incidentally, her stake was. He pulled her to him again, and using the whiplash effect, he quickly kicked her legs and punched her stomach once again. Katherine tried to regain balance as Spike kicked her legs from under her, but the concrete fist slamming into her mid section sent her concentration astray and her free hand did everything in order to stop her from falling down.

Her body instinctively doubled over, trying to protect itself, and Katherine's mind quickly told her she was vulnerable. In a swift movement, Katherine pushed her head forward and rolled in the air. She used her left hand for support and twisted in mid air. She steeled herself for the pain, knowing her right arm was in a vice like grip and the next instants felt like an eternity for her.

Spike frowned when he saw his enemy twist in mid air and he instinctively tightened his hold on her hand. The slayer's shoulder made a loud crack as it dislocated and it distracted Spike long enough for her plans to work. Completely turning in the air and feeling some muscles tear in her dislocated shoulder, Katherine shot with both her legs, kicking Spike's head with all her strength.

The kick was strong enough to send Spike flying backwards and enough to make him let go of her hand. Katherine landed with a loud thud, and moments later she heard Spike crash into the wall.

She took three deep breaths and tried to ignore the searing pain on her right arm. She had heard the pop and had felt the muscles tear and give as she had turned it on an unnatural 360 degree turn. She dared to stay still for a moment, but she knew she had to eventually open her eyes and acknowledge the threat. Her nose was still throbbing, but she opened her eyes and didn't see her enemy. She struggled to stand up and every movement sent waves of pain through her arm. She looked at her injured appendage and chuckled with pride when she noticed she hadn't let go of the stake. Carefully, she took it with her left hand and advanced to where she'd heard Spike crash.

'What a weird name.' Katherine thought. 'I have heard it before, somewhere.'

She tensed and took a step back when she heard the sound of clapping.

'I didn't knock him out?' She thought. 'I kicked him as hard as I could!'

Spike stepped out of the shadows and she could see she had shattered his nose and one of his cheekbones.

"Nice kick, love." He said, rolling his head. She could hear the bones crack. "Think the neck is broken somewhere as well. Couple ribs shattered with the wall, and I think a lung collapsed."

"You don't need to breathe." She said, gritting her teeth.

"But I like to talk, and it's bloody hard to do so when you're breathing blood." Spike replied. "That was brave."

"What?"

"You almost tore your own arm apart." Spike said, motioning to her right, useless arm. "That took balls, even though, y'know."

"Who are you?" Katherine asked, feeling dread and thinking he might not have been lying about Sahara.

"Like I said, the name's Spike." He answered. "You might have heard about me on your slayer classes."

"Doesn't ring a bell." She honestly replied, trying to find a way to kill the vampire.

"Oh, yeah, the stupid watchers don't use that name." Spike said, smacking his forehead. "Try William the Bloody."

Katherine's eyes flew open.

"It can't be." She said, her voice trembling. "You disappeared years ago. The Council thought you were dead."

"I am dead, love." Spike chuckled. "And the thing I said before? I told you the truth."

"What did you say?"

Spike began walking towards her, and Katherine began taking steps away from him.

"I have never met a slayer I couldn't kill."

Spike dug into one of his pockets and took out something that made his hand sizzle. He threw the object at Katherine, who didn't catch it out of fear of taking her eyes off him. The thing landed in front of her, and she could see it shining with the neon lights.

"You may want to look at it." He calmly said. Katherine stole a quick glance at it and her breath caught on her throat. At her feet was a small silver cross attached to a chain; a slayer tradition, each one of them wore a silver cross around their necks.

"Took it off your friend's neck." Spike said. "And I will take yours as well."

Katherine looked up, and the last thing she saw were Spike's golden eyes as he tackled her into the dark tunnel.

**End of Chapter.**


	47. It's A Wonderful World

Chapter 46 It's A Wonderful World 

**A/N:** Chapter forty six of the series.

**Disclaimer:** All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback:** Sure, whatever.

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Somewhere in Ireland

December 2017

The night kept its secrets.

It provided the blanket needed by those who wanted to keep their secrets safe, and it was always a safe haven. As sure as the sun will rise the next morning, it will also hide behind the horizon and the dark heavens will cover the world.

One of its secrets walked unchecked in the night, cautious and careful, as if discovering the darkness again with the innocence of a child. The air brought pleasant memories and instincts and urges were awakened and welcomed with open arms.

A pair of eyes hurt by the sun now wanted to caress the soft light reflected by the moon, that small, less harmful sibling of the stars, doomed to follow and not have light of its own. The staring eyes loved it. Selene didn't hurt them the way the king did. It didn't burn as the hot of the giver of life did every morning.

The coolness of the night's air was welcome on too hot skin. Epidermis too injured by the daily assault and foreign. Hands once too hot raised in the night and eyes once too injured stared at them, willing them back to the natural, normal paleness and coldness once familiar.

A howl of happiness broke through the empty land. No human being on sight and no animals around, the keeper of secrets fell to the floor, wanting all the warmth out.

"Welcome to the night." A soft voice hummed through the night. "I have given you the stars, like you once did."

Angelus lifted his head from the wet grass, a wicked gleam in his eyes.

"Drusilla, my dear, I will never forget this."

He growled and leapt from the grass, tackling the slender Drusilla and sending both of them tumbling down a small hill. Angelus assaulted Dru's mouth in a savage kiss, and soon blood was flowing from their intertwined mouths.

"How can I thank you?" He said, sloppy hands trying to tear the clothes off Drusilla's body. Her eyes flickered with something unfamiliar to Angelus, but then the sick smile returned and she tore the clothes off her body herself.

"Just be my daddy." She whispered. "Help me recover what we once were."

-------------------------

Exhausted and feeling like a kid, Angelus moved from the naked body of a sleeping Drusilla. Something was wrong with her, he knew, and it wasn't only the madness that had once both pleased and annoyed him to no end. He remembered what the blue demon, the Judge had once told them, that Drusilla and Spike were too human for their own good.

Tonight had been about blood, pain and sex for him, but Angelus had seen something else on Dru's eyes, a strange light that had not been there years ago. He wondered if his brief run with humanity had instead turned him mad and was seeing things were there was nothing to be seen.

Still, he looked around and felt free again. But he also felt utterly and completely humiliated. He remembered the past fourteen years and the insane hatred bubbled under his skin. The face of the slayer and the Council flashed in his mind and more hatred ran through his veins. Such an intense feeling demanded a physical response, and Angelus doubled over and threw up the remains of his earlier dinner. He growled and howled into the night, feeling exhilarated and sick at the same time. He screamed until he felt his throat raw and the old state of mind needed to become what he once was.

He felt a cool hand on his shoulder and turned around to find Drusilla behind him.

"Thought you'd be asleep." He said, running his eyes through her still unclad figure.

"Couldn't sleep." A drowsy Dru replied. "The stars are crying."

"Oh yes." He said as he roughly grabbed her hair and pulled her towards him. "The stars will cry and bleed and fall to the ground."

"Daddy silly." She giggled. "Stars can't fall."

"Oh, yes, they will." Angelus said as he bit into Drusilla's neck. "Mmey mill murn."

Drusilla giggled.

"You speak in riddles." She said. Angelus chuckled and licked the blood pouring from Dru's neck.

"I said they will burn." A frown crossed his face. "Which they already are, of course, but you get the meaning."

"The stars are burning?" Dru asked.

"Uh, they are, whatsitsname, they are big, large explosions of gas, or something like that." Angelus said, scratching his head.

"Gas, gas, gas, gas is bad." Dru said as she twirled and wrapped her arms around herself. "You used gas once and it burnt grandmummy dearest and I."

"It's not that type of gas, y'know." Angelus said. "That's gasoline. Used to move cars?"

Drusilla kept twirling, mumbling how it burnt and burnt for entire days. Angelus sighed and thought about ending her madness one and for all.

But he thought otherwise. He had given her eternal life decades ago and now she was giving him his free will back.

'She save me.' He thought. 'Much like she saved Darla.'

So Angelus just sighed, and kept looking at the naked figure singing and twirling in the cool night.

---------------------

Having already fetched both their clothes, and after having to give his shirt to Drusilla to mend for the torn top of her dress, both began their way back to Dublin, where Dru had told him what was going to happen.

In her own sick and twisted way, she'd revealed to Angelus the plan of the Senior Partners. Angelus fell silent and one step behind when walking next to Dru. He'd heard Buffy tell them all that Drusilla was the leader of the army assembled by the Senior Partners, so he began connecting the dots.

Perhaps the look on her eyes was that of power. Or the knowledge of power and the command of such a lethal army.

Something twisted inside his stomach and he realized he was jealous of her. She was the one the Senior Partners had chosen instead of him.

He shook his head, knowing he was a lap dog at the time, and they had never managed to destroy or defeat Drusilla, not him and not Buffy.

Buffy.

The name sent more shivers of hate down his spine and he once again felt the need to retch. He still had the awful taste on his mouth, and not even Dru's blood had done anything to calm the sick feeling in his stomach. He wanted to ask her why was he feeling like this, but he knew Drusilla wasn't all that good in helping people.

Spike had been a basket case and the second time, Darla had not been, for the lack of a better word, complete in the head.

Angelus merely kept walking behind Dru, looking at the way her hips moved with every step. He frowned, feeling like a hound dog, lusting after the first woman he saw. He licked his lips, still savoring the blood in them and trying to focus in the then and now.

'Confused like a newborn.' He thought. 'And wanting nothing but the get back inside the woman who gave birth to me.'

Putting aside the Freudian nightmare he was having, he once again focused on her hypnotic hips. How many men had been lured to their deaths because of such beauty? He didn't find Dru drop dead gorgeous, but she had an exotic appeal. Her skin had always been soft and not unnaturally cold as every other vampire's was. Funny how he should remember such things after a hundred years. Maybe that's why Spike loved her? Because she was different from every other vampire?

Something wasn't right there, his thoughts once again returning to the Judge.

'You reek of humanity.'

Then again, maybe it made perfect sense. Only humans were cruel to each other. Maybe it was her traces of humanity the perfect trait needed to lead the deadliest army to ever exist.

Maybe he was jealous of a defective vampire.

Maybe he was thinking too much.

A feral grin appeared on his face, and he broke down laughing. Drusilla stopped walking and turned around, startled by the sudden change of mood.

"Daddy?"

"It's a wonderful world, Dru." He said as he looked into her eyes.

"Let's go destroy it."

**End of Chapter.**

**A/N2:** Someone asked about the whereabouts of the two vampires. Last two chapters brought the attention back to them. Now you know. Now we can continue where the story left off.


	48. Break Stuff

**Chapter 47**

**Break Stuff**

**A/N: **Chapter forty seven of the series. Can't complain, 'cause there's still some people reading this, but I've noticed the difference between the feedback I got on the other large series and this one. I know I bollocksed it up with the lack of updates on "A Man's Worth" in over a year, but I have merely twelve reviews on this one. Twelve.

Makes a man frown and not know if what he's writing is crap or something remotely decent. Let me know what you think.

**Disclaimer: **All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback: **I think I made my point clear, don't you agree?

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London, England

Outside of the Watcher's Council

December 2017

Buffy thought she was hallucinating.

Still, the slayers instincts took over and she quickly limped towards her howling daughter. She quickly pulled the sword out of her daughter's grip and swung it with all her strength towards the nearest kneeling turok hans.

The blade did a clean sweep through two vampires and they exploded to dust as their heads slowly tilted to the side and fell down. The turok hans sensed the attack and leapt to attack their enemy. The vampires tackled the slayer before she managed to maneuver the sword and they tumbled down at the feet of Annie.

The slayer's daughter fell from the adrenaline high so fast she felt dizzy, but she grabbed a turok han by the ragged clothes and threw it away. She kicked the other one, and as the vampire reacted to defend itself, its attack was cut short as another turok han stood between vampire and human.

"What the…?"

The attacking turok han backed down and Annie once again focused on the struggling slayer and the vampires surrounding her.

"Get the hell away from my mother!" She said as she picked up a piece of shattered concrete and threw it at one vampire. Another surprise awaited her, for as soon as she uttered the command, the turok hans slowly stopped whatever they were doing and walked away from her mother. Annie frowned but moved quickly in the midst of the pack of unusually quiet turok hans and retrieved her exhausted mother.

"You ok, mum?" She asked. Buffy nodded and groaned when she tried to stand up.

"God, I'm not so young anymore." The slayer gasped. "What the hell happened?"

"I don't know." Annie whispered. "I told them to stop, and they…"

"Stopped." Buffy whispered as well. "It happened after one of them bit you."

"Don't remind me." Annie replied and her hand automatically went to her neck. "Looks like it stopped bleeding."

"Thank God for quick healing." Buffy said, checking her daughter's neck.

"Yeah, what's the deal with that?" Annie chuckled. "Had to be careful at school. If I scraped my knee, it'd be gone by the end of the day. Freaky."

"Hey, I have the same healing. Yours is faster because your father also has it."

"Don't mention it." Annie grumped. "Now, let's see if this is still working."

Annie carefully placed her mother's arm around her neck and placed her own arm on Buffy's hips. She pulled her mother up and looked at the vampires around her, who in return had their cold and lifeless eyes on her and the slayer.

"Move." Annie growled. "Let us pass."

The turok hans growled back, but they all moved apart. Annie and Buffy gasped but began moving towards the safety of the Council.

"Is it right to go back there?" Annie asked. Buffy choked back a groan of pain and nodded.

"It's the only place we can go right now." The slayer replied. "Everyone's in there. The dragons are up there and we have to find a way to get rid of them."

Annie nodded and began moving faster, wanting to be inside the Council as quickly as possible.

"What the hell are we going to do about that?" Annie muttered.

-----------------------

"Now that's just bloody impossible." Giles whispered.

He'd seen Wesley drag a shrieking Dawn upstairs, and several slayers and watchers had followed them upstairs, searching the safety of the Council's upper level.

"The slayers are tossing the turok hans outside as we speak." Wesley had said. "I can't feel them inside anymore."

"Can't hear them as well." Xander had said. "Looks like we can shut down the Council again."

"And stay here like sitting ducks?" Wesley had asked. "There are dragons out there! We can't stay here! They'll fry us!"

"What do you suggest, then?" Giles had shouted. "Since you seem to have all the answers!"

"We'll have to flee!" Wesley had shouted back.

"Where?"

"Anywhere but here!" Wesley had slammed his fist on Giles' desk, shattering it completely. "Cut our losses and regroup! If we stay here, we'll be destroyed!"

Giles had shaken, seeing the violent display of destruction, and he had remembered then what a dangerous creature Wesley had become. He'd looked at everyone in the room and those outside, waiting for their leader to speak.

"We'll see what Buffy has to say." Giles had replied then. "She has a right to decide what to do."

"Where is she?"

That moment, all color was drained from Dawn's face, and she asked everyone in the room if they'd seen her sister or her niece. No response had appeared and they all assumed the worse before Illyria spoke.

"The slayer and her offspring are not inside the building." She'd said. "I can feel them outside."

Giles then proceeded to run towards the window and peer outside. He'd then seen the circle of turok hans surrounding his daughter and his granddaughter.

A shout and an order later and every long range weapon in the building had been picked up and aimed at the circle below.

But the impossible had happened, and the turok hans had parted and let the slayer and her daughter walk unharmed.

-------------------

Annie sighed with relief when the steel doors slowly began moving, and as she pressed the elevator's button, the Council was once again safe for them to be in.

"Looks like they saw is walk back in." Annie said, finally allowing the pain and the anxiety to appear. The elevator's doors opened and they tumbled inside. Annie groaned as she pressed the button marked '6' and leaned back into the wall her mother was slumped against.

"Hey, mum, we're going up." She said. Buffy nodded and opened her arms. Annie felt tears coming, but she knew it wasn't the time nor the place to break down, so she just settled between her mother's arms and hoped she wouldn't hurt her more as she leaned against her.

"I was so scared." Annie confessed. Buffy made hushing sounds and ran her hands through her daughter's hair.

"So was I, honey." Buffy said. "So was I."

The doors of the elevator opened on the sixth level, and Wesley and Connor carried the two asleep figures outside.

-------------------

Giles was sitting on Willow's station, uploading all the information that had been stored on the computer Wesley had shattered on his earlier outbreak. The contact button blinked and he knew just who was trying to contact him. He placed the headphone and mic on and patched through the call.

"General." Giles said, not wanting to have the conversation.

"London is down, Giles." The general said, a commotion visible behind the man's chair. "What the fuck are those things tearing down my planes and choppers?"

"Those are dragons, general." Giles patiently replied. "They're practically unbeatable while they're in the air."

"No shit, Giles, I've lost a whole squad and they're not allowing any traffic through the entire city!" The general took a few deep breaths and tried to remain calm. "If this thing keeps up, we're going to have to nuke the city."

"What did you say?" Giles said and he felt his blood pressure rise quickly. He had to remain calm, or else Xander would be fussing over him and would force him to cut the link. "You can't be serious."

"I am being serious, Giles." The general replied. "Do you want to know the casualty numbers we're fumbling with? Do you know what kind of pressure I have up my ass since I used napalm on the city? Do you have the slightest idea how many treaties I fucked up? I have NATO riding my ass as we speak."

"I wish I could be of more assistance, Thaddeus." Giles softly said. "But right now, my girls took a heavy hit. We're going to have to call in all of them."

"There's no need, Giles." The general sighed. "Just checked with the prime minister, the king and the UN, and we all came up with one last idea."

"What can I do to help?" Giles asked.

"I'll let you know if it comes to it." The general replied. "Right now, I would recommend you to take your remaining girls and leave the island."

"So the nuclear attack is plan B?"

"It is plan A." The general corrected. "But we received an interesting call that is making us put the plan on hold."

"Can I know what the call was about?" Giles pushed.

"National security, old friend." The general was about to add something, when he took off his hat and rubbed his eyes. "What the hell. You certainly must know about the Initiative."

Giles cringed.

"I've heard of it, yes." The head watcher said. "Last thing I knew, it was cancelled."

"That was the consensus, yes, but we always have back up plans." General Ross said. "The Initiative became a hidden branch inside hidden branches. Very specific operatives were kept inside and even less were aware of the existence of the Initiative."

"I guess you were one of those lucky ones." Giles sarcastically drawled.

"I was the one holding them down." General Ross sighed. "They are ambitious bastards who think are the best of the best. Since they can kill vampires and demons, they think they're better than SEAL's or marines."

"And they are?"

"Hell no!" General Ross shook violently his head. "But they are crazy, fanatic motherfuckers. I have seen them leap into basements packed with vampires and walk out of them. Fucking insane, I tell you."

"And it must be eating you inside that you…"

"Have to accept their help, yes." General Ross sighed again. "One of them called me not ten minutes ago, and I had to ask him to come."

"A crazy, uh, what you called them?"

"This one's a Commander." General Ross replied. "Commander Riley Finn."

**End of Chapter**


	49. Sick Surprise

**Chapter 48**

**Sick Surprise**

**A/N:** Chapter forty eight.

**Disclaimer:** All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback:** Didn't I beg enough last time? No? Well, then, do as you please.

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London, England

The Watcher's Council

December 2017

Everything was going down in flames.

Giles tried to remember where he'd read about the world ending in fire or ice.

'Give me ice now.' Giles thought. 'Fuck fire. Give me ice any day of the week.'

He looked at the blank screen in front of him and he thought about the strangeness of it all. The computer was so calm and still, and around him, chaos.

His children were frightened, and even though they were all men and women, well, most of them were, they were operating on safe mode.

He honestly didn't know what to do anymore. Every order and every idea had been wrong. He was a watcher trained like the other watchers had been trained before him for entire generations. His actions were a reflection of the harsh and strict upbringing he'd had and the adolescent mistake nicknamed 'Ripper'.

He'd been a rogue watcher some time, but a watcher nevertheless.

'Qui-gon Jinn, pops.' Xander had said, the geek inside of him channeling the obliged Star Wars comparison.

Truth to be told, he'd never bothered to watch any of said flicks. He had enough fantasy and duties in his life, and he certainly didn't had the need to indulge in children's theatre on a large scale.

But then he'd met Andrew and the two boys had harassed him incessantly for entire months until he'd caved in and had agreed to watch at least one of the so called "essential parts of the greatest trilogies ever made".

The watcher had fallen asleep in the first fifteen minutes of 'The Empire Strikes Back.'

Fortunately, the two young men had not struck back and had entered their fantasy world and had let him sleep without disturbances.

He looked around again and wished he'd spent more time with them. He had a certain sense of foreboding telling him he wouldn't make it through this battle. His warriors were tired adults, and they were tired of playing by the rules.

Old rules, by the look of it. He looked at Wesley and he had the sick need to know what had happened to him. He knew the younger watcher had spent some time in hell, but he didn't know what had happened before to make him so bitter.

The experience in hell hadn't changed him. Wesley had changed years before his death.

But still, the traumatized watcher seemed to be the one who kept his head clear and knew of consequences. Maybe Wesley was the future of the Council, if it survived the battle. Maybe Xander was too human to lead an organization who dealt with death and pain every day.

Every fucking day.

Angel had muttered something sometime about Wesley and his son, and every time, every bloody time Wesley saw Connor his hand scratched the scar the former watcher had on his neck.

Had Angel given him the scar? Had Cordelia?

Was Wesley the man for the job?

The comm. Link blinked again and he sighed. He once again knew who it was on the other side of the line. Looking around to make certain no one was looking at him, he finally accepted the uplink and stared at the face that greeted him.

"Giles." Commander Finn said. Giles swallowed the bile that unexpectedly came and plastered a smile on his face.

"Riley. Long time no see." Giles replied.

"You made your terms clear." Riley answered. "I offered my services."

"How mercenary of you." Giles shot. He backpedaled and tried to keep his temper in charge. "I apologize. It's been an awful day."

"And it's bound to get worse." Riley said, ignoring Giles' outburst. "You heard about the nukes?"

"Yes, I was made aware of that development." Giles said. "Do you have a backup plan?"

"Of course." Riley said, too sure of himself. "I just needed full control of the entire military action and full disclosure."

"Meaning?"

"The king still has his doubts." Riley said, leaning back on his chair. "He worries about the political and world views."

"As should he." Giles said, leaning forward on his chair. "You or your superiors would get complete control over the country's capital. It's only safe to be concerned."

"I don't have any superiors, Rupert." Riley grimaced. "I am now the leader of the Initiative."

"Really?" Giles said. "How's Sam?"

A dark shadow crossed Riley's face, but a quick grin covered it.

"Somewhere in Iowa. Maybe Waterloo, I don't know."

"Your daughter?"

"Look, Rupert, I just called as a courtesy." Riley now leaned forward, too close to the camera. "I guess the young king's concerns will be dissipated in a few minutes, and I will march inside the city and will have it back in twelve hours."

"There are turok hans, Riley." Giles felt the need to erase the smug expression on Riley's face. "You do know they are not killed as easily as a regular vampire. And then there's the dragons."

"It's a matter of proper response, Rupert." Riley replied. "You'll merely sit back and watch the show."

"A hundred slayers couldn't take them, Riley." Giles countered. "What makes you think you and your men will?"

Riley slammed his hands on the table and stood up.

"Your girls fight rocks with rocks, Rupert. I have subsonic machines and plasma grenades. We trained like SEALS and MARINES and MI5, not like ancient crap warriors who use wood in order to police the underworld. See this?" Riley placed a machine gun in front of the camera. "This is a MA5B assault rifle, Rupert, it fires fifteen rounds per second and have a whole diverse variety of ammo. Shredder clips? They'll tear through three inches of steel, Rupert. Can any of your girls push their stakes hard enough to do that?"

"You know they can't, Riley." Giles said, now leaning back. "But they don't need drugs or steroids to take on vampires hand to hand."

"See you in hell, old man." Riley said as he logged off. Giles once again stared at the blank screen, wondering why had he pissed off the one man who could help them.

"Who was that?" Willow asked, standing behind Giles and handing him a cup of tea. Giles nodded and took the cup out of the redhead's hands.

"That was the Commander of the Initiative." Giles replied between sips of his tea. "You remember the initiative, don't you?"

"Sure." Willow said. "Bunch of trigger happy soldiers who take steroids and like their werewolves dissected."

"Those are the ones." Giles nodded. "Looks like they're getting a shot at it."

"What? They'll be creamed!" Willow said as she pulled a chair and sat on it. "Did you record the conversation? Maybe we can contact him back and tell him…"

"No need." Giles interrupted. "He won't listen to us."

"Why?"

"Because we had a deal." Giles sighed. "The PD, the military, the Initiative and I had a deal."

"What kind of deal?" Willow asked and narrowed her eyes.

"I was told the initiative had been eliminated." Giles said, taking his glasses off. "But I knew such an investment and effort wouldn't let be gone to waste, so I researched."

"That's you, research guy."

"Yes, well, I did dig on. More than I should have." Giles accepted. "When the Council blew up and I was suddenly the recipient of everything left on the Council's records and money, I knew I had to take different approaches to what had been done before."

He took another sip of his tea. Chamomile, by the looks and taste of it.

"Remember in Sunnydale, ages ago, when Buffy was arrested?"

Willow nodded.

"I realized we needed certain support behind our actions, in case something bad should happen."

"Something bad is happening."

"Not like that." Giles corrected. "Something like our slayers caught on tv."  
"I think I may begin to understand why Agent Parker was always around." Willow said.

"He was part of everything. I had ties with the PD here, the FBI, some in the CIA, others on NSA and even the IRS."

"I get it." Willow smiled. "He was my CO on 'NAM, the CIA has him MIA, right?"

"What?"

"Never mind."

"The military wasn't so easy, you know, they like to do everything by the book." Giles took another sip. "But when you are searching, you are bound to become the subject of yet another search, and the Initiative found me before I found them."

"Now comes the part were you tell me you made a deal with the devil, right?" Willow raised her eyebrows.

"Something like that, yes." Giles nodded. "Looks like the Council had some, uhm, obscure information on everyone. Hidden files regarding police corruption, indiscretions of the royal family, something called 'Jack the Ripper', another thing known as 'Spring-heeled Jack' and many others."

"That should cover the police and the monarchy, but the military?"

"The military has their own agenda, and we agreed not to bother one another, but the initiative was the, odd brother, sort of." Giles continued. "So we all came to an understanding."

"I'm not going to like this, right?"

"The initiative needed funds to survive." Giles said. "I had control of an organization that had unlimited funds."

"Oh no."

"But I needed control. The initiative has no bloody clue as to how to handle the public and the hostiles."

"We should know."

"Thus money became a way to control them, and I revealed their existence to certain members of the military."

"Double agent."  
"I had them under my control." Giles said. "I had given them the money they needed to survive, but I cut their growth by having the military watch over them. In all paranormal situations, I had first dibs, so to speak."

"You bought our privacy?"

"Yes. I bought our secrecy. Anything unnatural happening on the UK? It had to come first here than anywhere else. If not, well, there are a whole bunch of letters and documents that would be very interesting if the media got caught of them."

"God…"

"I know." Giles sighed. "But I had to ensure the safety of the slayers. Why do you think I was certain they'd be sure out there? When I heard the police was shooting our slayers I felt betrayed and sick."

"Guess you can't control frightened people."

"I can't control the mob." Giles accepted. "But I had a certain agreement with the higher powers."

"But now the city is going up in flames, isn't it?" Willow said. "It doesn't matter anymore what kind of hold you have over them. They want to rescue the city, and they'll take help from anyone, won't they?"

Giles nodded.

"And the guy from the Initiative, the one you had been controlling, now has managed to leap you and went higher, didn't he?" Willow asked.

"We had our shot." Giles said. "We tried, and we failed. The military tried, and they failed. The army wants to use nuclear bombs to stop the dragons. The initiative offered another approach."

"Oh, man." Willow sighed as well. "There went our first dibs on everything."

"It's worst." Giles revealed. "I used the initiative in wet jobs."

"I don't like the sound of that."

"Tell me something, Will." Giles leaned back on his chair. "If Oz suddenly became a threat, and I ordered you, Buffy or Xander to take him down, would you have done it?"

Willow was shocked by the question. "You didn't…?"

"Oz is alive and well in Norway. Now tell me…"

"You know we would have tried to find another way." Willow whispered.

"I know. And I love you all for it. But there are threats I didn't want you to know about. And some others I couldn't ask you to stop."

Willow ran her hands through her hair.

"So you used the initiative those times." She kept whispering.

"Yes." Giles said. "If I'd told you about a five year old boy who turned into a massive, blood thirsty monster at night and had already massacred half of his town, what would you have tried to do?"

"Oh God, don't tell me this."

"I had to do it, so I could worry about you and the things the slayers could do for the world." Giles said. "You are heroes, Willow. You have bled for the world. You've wept for it. You are not murderers."

"Interesting."

Giles and Willow leapt and turned around. Giles felt the heavy stare the woman he loved as his daughter was sending his way, and he didn't want to think about the face Xander had.

"Something you want to tell us?" Buffy asked.

End of Chapter 


	50. Fallen Heroes

**Chapter 49**

**Fallen Heroes**

**A/N: **Chapter forty nine of the series. Back on track, let's see if I can upload lots of more chapters.

**Disclaimer: **All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback: **Sure, as you wish.

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

London, England

The Watcher's Council

December 2017

Giles couldn't bear the look on Buffy's eyes. He turned around and felt Willow's small hand on his shoulder.

"I think you should talk to them." Willow said. "I understand. I really do. They will understand as well."

Willow stood up and went away, giving them the space they needed.

"Well?" Buffy said, crossing her arms.

"He wanted us to know." Xander said. "He knows I can hear him everywhere in this building. He wanted me to hear."

"Is that so?" Buffy asked.

Giles sighed and motioned for her to take a seat. Buffy pulled Xander and both sat in front of their father figure.

"Xander is right, my dear." Giles said. "He must have heard my conversation with General Ross a few minutes ago, and he sure heard who I talked to two minutes ago."

"Riley." Xander said. Buffy's head whipped and stared at Xander.

"What did you say?"

"The initiative." Giles revealed.

"I thought the Initiative didn't exist anymore." Buffy growled.

"Well, they do, and I helped them." Giles sighed.

"Ok, now I don't even know you." Buffy shook her head.

"Let's hear him." Xander said, his voice betraying him. "I want him to explain."

"You must have heard the most important parts." Giles said. "You heard I've been lying. You heard I've manipulated powerful forces. It may have been a misguided attempt, but I kept the Council safe. I kept it secret."

"Makes us wonder what else you did." Buffy said.

"Think about it, dear." Giles said, and his voice had never sounded so tired and harsh in his life. "We work above the law. We make our own rules and we don't answer to anyone. You've broken the law yourself in numerous occasions. We are criminals in several countries. You. Me. Xander. Willow. We've all broken the law."

"Yes, we knew all that." Buffy said, her voice not so sure anymore.

"It would be petulant of us to think that we didn't ruffle any feathers." Giles continue. "It would be too proud to think we were good enough all those times. That dead children, dead girls and dead scholars wouldn't be traced back to us."

"So what, we became another Wolfram & Hart?" Buffy asked.

"No, dear. We just became friends with the PD and some others." Giles replied. "Quid pro quo, Buffy."

"My latin sucks, and you know it." Buffy said. "We don't work like this."

"When we were four against the world, there was no need, Buffy." Giles said. "But now we are a force, a powerful covenant of hundreds of operatives around the world. Did you know we support over four thousand families around the world, Buffy? If slayers are caught, what do you think the medical world will want to do to you? They world will want to know why you're stronger, Buffy. Why you're faster. Why you heal faster than most. What the initiative did to Spike? The world would have done to you. Or Faith. Or Jean."

"You're manipulating me as well." Buffy said.

"No, dear. I am telling you the truth. I am telling you my reasons. I made a deal with the devil to keep you safe and above the system."

"How Men in Black of you."

"Stop this!" Giles slammed his fist on the keyboard. "Don't second guess me, Buffy! I may not have been the best influence in your life! I may have put you in unnecessary risks several times, but I never wanted you to be locked away, hurt, imprisoned or tested on!"

"What do you want me to think, Giles?" Buffy asked. "I have just learned you've been lying to us for fourteen years. You kept secrets from us and it could have blown in our faces."

"It didn't." Giles said. "I was wrong. I know. It its wrong. But I would do it again. For you. For him. For Willow."

"Don't rationalize it as…"

"If a medic wants to cure cancer and finds what Annie can do, what do you think he'd do to her?" Giles interrupted.

"Leave my daughter out of…"

"Tell me!" Giles' shout interrupted her again. "What do you think he'd do! For the sake of the world?"

Buffy didn't answer, but Xander did open his mouth.

"They'd cut her open to see what makes her tick." The blind man said. "Same as they'd do to every other slayer."

"You have no idea how many witch doctors have asked me that same thing." Giles said, rubbing his tired eyes. "Former Wolfram & Hart doctors have tried to do so as well."

"I think it has crossed your mind as well." Buffy suddenly said.

"Of course it has." Giles said. "A cure for cancer, Buffy. A vaccine against AIDS. There are several possibilities."

"I see your point." Buffy conceded. "I don't like it, but I get it."

"I'm glad you do." Giles sighed. "The military wants each and every one of you in their ranks. They want to make you into their killing machines. Imagine a perfectly trained army of slayers, Buffy. Imagine them loose on a third world country. What could a slayer do with high tech weapons and military training?"

"We could conquer the world." Buffy whispered.

"Imagine what the NSA would want from you." Giles continued. "Imagine the possibilities."

"Ok, ok." Buffy sighed. "You could have told me."

"It was a dangerous game, Buffy." Giles replied. "It was better if you didn't know."

"How come?"

"You could deny everything, dear." Giles explained. "If things didn't work out like I wanted them to, I would have been the only guilty one. The military, the FBI, the monarchy, they would come after me. Only me."

"God. What do you know?" Buffy asked.

"More than I wanted to." Giles said. "I received everything the Council had, Buffy. Everything it knew. Decades of information."

"I thought it had all been destroyed." Xander said. "Where…?"

"Hidden." Giles said. "Inside the very records. Quite cryptic, but once I found entirely by accident the first hidden message, the others just appeared every time I read something else."

"What did you find there?" Xander asked.

"All the political leverage needed." Giles said. "We became the modern Knights Templar, Xander. We don't answer to any government, that's all you need to know."

"Wow. And you didn't share the wealth because…?"  
"Read a book, Buffy dear." Giles winked. "After you've learnt what happened to the Knights Templar, you'll understand the need for secrecy."

"Fair enough." Buffy said. "Now that I've soothed all my anger and righteous sense of betrayal, can you tell me what the hell is Riley gonna do?"

"He's bitter against me." Giles said. "I helped the new Initiative, but I also hindered it. They can't act without the full authorization of a country's government and its militia."

"Which I guess has already happened." Buffy groaned.

"The city is lost, Buffy." Giles said. "Of course it has happened. King William was adamant about it, but I guess the prime minister has already convinced him to sign full authority to the Initiative."

"So they'll ravage the burning city in order to get the turok hans and the dragons?" Buffy said.

"That's their idea." Giles replied. "But I don't think there's any weapon powerful enough to smite a dragon."

"Except a nuclear weapon." Buffy guessed. "Tell me I'm wrong."

"I don't know, Buffy." Giles said. "Nuclear missiles are fairly new weapons. They have never been tested against a creature as powerful as a dragon."

"The initiative is going to get creamed." Buffy said. "Not that I care at this point, but we can't let them get murdered."

"I don't think there's much we can do." Giles said.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that." Buffy said, a smile on her face. "My girl pulled something down there that you wouldn't believe."

"Yes, the vampires letting you pass unharmed, I didn't get a chance to ask you about it." Giles said. "What happened there?"

"I don't know." Buffy honestly replied. "But she seems to have a certain hold over them."

"That could be helpful." Giles said. "If we could only find a way to…"

"Guys?" Willow's voice was heard on the background. "Didn't mean to interrupt, but you may want to look at this."

"Patch it to the large screen." Giles said.

"We don't have enough power." Willow said. "Come over to this station and see."

The three of them stood up and walked towards Willow. When they saw the feed on her screen they sighed.

"Are you looking at this, Willow?" A voice was heard from the computer's speakers. "The leash I had around my neck has disappeared."

The video feed displayed the outskirts of London, and a huge battalion of black armored soldiers wielding the same assault rifles Riley had shown Giles earlier.

"The king and the prime minister have given their approval, Will. And I'll do the job your Council couldn't." Riley's face appeared on screen and frowned when he saw the gathered people in front of the screen. "Ah, Giles, good to see you. Xander, looking good man."

"Can't say the same, Riley." Xander said. "I'm blind."

"Glad to see you're playing for the right team." Riley chuckled. "Sorry about that. Buffy, how's your daughter?"

"Fine, thank you. What the hell do you think you're doing?" Buffy asked. "You'll get killed."

"Lovely lack of trust." Riley said, loading his rifle. "We won't be fighting with fire and sticks, Buffy. We're using assault rifles and plasma grenades."

"Plasma grenades?" Xander asked.

"Ask Will." Riley replied. "She'll tell you what a cool thing plasma is and what it could do to a vampire."

"Fair enough." Buffy said. "But what are you going to do about the dragons?"

"We have stingers." Riley replied. "Long range. Faster."

"That won't do squat to them." Xander said.

"Oh, but they're juiced up." Riley said. "That money you gave us, Giles? It sure did a lot when packing the firepower of a BGM-109 Tomahawk into a shell that fits a stinger."

"Wow, hardcore." Willow said. "That much firepower will…"

"What, Will, destroy the city?" Riley laughed. "From what I can see from here, the city is already destroyed."

"Don't do this to get back at us, Riley." Giles said. "Or back at me. Whatever may have happened between the two of us in the past doesn't justify leading your men into a slaughter."

"We won't get slaughtered." Riley practically growled. "We are trained for this. We have years of pent up anger ready to explode. We have been practicing for this very moment, Giles. We will succeed were your Council have failed."

"Do you know what a turok han is, Riley?" Buffy asked, her voice strangely calm.

"We have files, yes." Riley nodded.

"Then you must know they are unnaturally strong." Buffy said. "Faster than the others. They don't react to pain. At all."

"Plasma grenades, Buffy." Riley said. "We won't even have to get near them. One of this beauties could take four or five of them."

"Riley, please. The dragons. Work with us." Buffy tried one last time.

"We could have, Buffy, we could have." Riley said, his face honest for the first time. "Maybe the initiative and the Council could have been great together."

"It was a misguided concept from its conception." Giles interrupted. "You may not believe me, but you could have done more damage than good."

"Is that why you used us to do your dirty work, Giles?" Riley viciously asked. "That's why you asked us to kill what your slayers couldn't?"

"My girls are not murderers, Riley." Giles softly said. "They're not like you or me."

"Bet they don't know what they truly are, then." Riley spat. "We're the humans here, Giles. Your girls are half demon hybrids."

Giles didn't need Xander's augmented senses to feel Buffy's anger growing. She had never gotten used to the fact that the slayers' power had rather dark origins.

"Then you're on your own, Riley." Buffy coldly said. "I'll be sure to pick your mangled remains and send them in a box to your wife."

Riley didn't even answer; he just cut the link and the screen went dark in front of them.

"That was cold, Buff." Xander said.

"I didn't lie." Buffy said, shaking her head. "Riley and the Initiative won't survive the night."

End of Chapter


	51. Silent Night

**Chapter 50**

**Silent Night**

**A/N: **Chapter fifty of the series..

**Disclaimer: **All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback: **Sure, as you wish.

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

London, England

The Watcher's Council

December 2017

"Can we look at the bigger picture for a second?" Willow asked, still looking at the blank screen.

"What would that be?" Buffy asked.

"We may have to evacuate the premises." Willow replied. "Regroup somewhere else."

"That seems prudent." Giles said, looking at the quickly diminishing lights above. "The power won't last much longer."

"We may have an hour or two." Willow said. "Slayers all around the world have been warned."

"So, fall back and regroup?" Buffy asked.

"Yes. Take as much as you can carry with you and let's go out." Giles answered. He turned around and looked at Annie. "What did you do to get the turok hans to let you pass?"

"Besides giving them a taste?" Annie smirked, showing her wounded neck to Giles. The two dots had already scarred and only a faint pink trace remained.

"Dear God, they bit you?" Giles gasped, and he carefully traced the dots on his granddaughter's neck.

"No big, grandpa." Annie shrugged. "It didn't hurt. Much."

"So they tasted your blood." Giles muttered. "And then they stopped."

He looked up and stared into Buffy's eyes.

"Something on your mind?" She asked. Giles looked around and decided it wasn't time for more secrets and discretion.

"Look, I don't like to talk without knowing or researching first, but I guess the turok hans tasted the blood of Aurelius on you."

"The blood of what?" Annie asked.

Buffy ran her hands through her hair, and Willow and Xander had similar confused looks on their faces.

"The line of Aurelius, dear." Giles replied. "Your father, when he was a vampire, he was of the line of Aurelius, one of the strongest and oldest lines of vampires."

"Huh."

"His sire, Darla, had been sired herself by the Master." Giles clarified. "You have probably read this already. Angel in turn sired Drusilla, who, as your mother told us, is the leader of this army."

"You think that the turok hans identified that in Annie's blood and identified her as what, family?" Willow stepped in.

"Not necessarily family." Giles countered. "Remember that blood was needed for a turok han to rise. Maybe it was Drusilla's blood this time. In vampire circles, Drusilla could be very much Annie's sister."

"So I'm the sister of the leader of this army of darkness?" Annie asked, a smile creeping up her face.

"It's not something 'cool', dear." Giles said. "You have met Drusilla, even though you may not remember her. It could be a strange coincidence, but maybe, just maybe, the blood you share has saved you."

"The turok hans did kneel in front of her." Buffy said, patting her daughter's head. "That in here and in China is a sign of respect."

"We could use that to our advantage." Xander said. "Y'know, for our safety."

"The turok hans have displayed a certain intelligence as of lately." Giles noted. "Maybe they can understand your words or actions."

"That means I get to go out wielding a sword and threaten them?" Annie smirked.

"Not like that, but maybe they will follow your command."

-----------------------

Half an hour later, all slayers, watchers and essential personnel inside the Council slowly marched towards the exit. Each of them had been allowed or charged to take certain possessions and weapons with them, trying to get with them the very essence of the Council.

Giles merely carried a broad sword and his laptop, keeping inside all the information he considered vital and/or dangerous to them. Wesley had insisted on taking the magical volumes, all written info in existence available through them. The others carried objects that were important to them or some others essential as food and water.

"Man, I never thought we'd leave this place." Willow muttered. Xander, walking by her side, placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Neither did I." A smile appeared on his face. "Never thought I'd live to see this day."

Willow groaned and thought it was a good sign when Xander began making stupid jokes.

The rest of the walk outside was met in silence, as Annie, Buffy, Wesley and Illyria headed the group, hoping not to be caught unaware.

As soon as the turok hans heard them, a low growl erupted from their throats, but quickly diminished as they laid eyes on Annie.

"That's weird." Buffy said. Next to her, Wesley nodded and focused on the vampires.

"They seem subdued." He said. "But they don't feel threatened. There's no tension on the air."

"There is confusion." Illyria said, her head oddly straight. "As if their allegiances had shifted. Traitorous half breeds."

"See? Now you're not making any sense." Wesley frowned as he slowly walked next to her, lifting his sword and keeping his eyes on the vampires. "These are not half breeds."

Illyria cocked her head and turned around to stare at her companion.

"What?" She asked, and Wesley didn't get to answer when all the turok hans took a step forward, growling menacingly.

"Whoa, down boys!" Buffy bristled and lifted her sword as well. Annie hushed her mother and step by step, she approached the nearest vampire, who growled softly and began sniffing the air around Annie.

"Annie…" Buffy whispered, feeling every small hair on the back of her neck raising at the sight of her only child in danger. "Of all the stupid things you've done…"

Annie motioned her mother to be quiet, and even though her pulse was quickening and her brain was screaming, she held her ground and let the vampire sniff her.

After tense seconds, the vampire growled again, but in a different tone and a clearly different mood. The vampire lifted its claw and in an impossible move, softly caressed the side of Annie's face.

The slayer gasped and fought hard against every instinct in her, as slayer and as a mother, to charge the creature and hack it to pieces for daring to touch her daughter.

Instead, the vampires again growled and took a step back, kneeling before Annie.

"Impossible." Wesley and Giles whispered at the same time, and behind them, Willow spoke into Xander's ear, telling him what had happened.

"No way." Xander drawled. "That really happened?"

"This is something entirely new." Giles said, fascinated by the view. "And the possibilities…"

"There will be no possibilities." Buffy cut Giles' monologue. "There will only be walking."

"But Buffy…"

"I said walking!" Buffy shouted. "I don't want to know what this implies, and I certainly don't want you watchers going 'ga-ga' over this!"

Wesley and Giles remained in silence, not wanting to upset the already disturbed slayer.

Soon, with Annie and Buffy leading the way, all slayers and watchers gained safe passage through the burning city, and in a very strange move, the turok hans flanked the fleeing warriors, oddly protective of them. In the rear, Illyria, Wesley and Connor guarded the back, not entirely trusting the weird vampires walking next to them.

"This is just fucking weird." Connor said, scratching the back of his head.

"Got to agree with you on that." Wesley muttered, the thing inside of him uncharacteristically relaxed and calm, as if the violence around had completely receded.

"I mean, what's up with my little sis, then?" Connor continued. "What has she got inside of her that makes this vampires as threatening as a poodle?"

"Perhaps it is the blood of Aurelius on her veins." Welsey replied.

"Yes, well, I have it as well, and completely." Connor countered. "Remember? Dad, Angelus, mom, Darla."

"You have a point there." Wesley thought about it for a moment. "Perhaps one of the vampires got to bite her. That could explain it."

Connor nodded and kept walking in silence.

Hours later, the exhausted slayers and watchers finally found the outskirts of the city, glad they had managed to leave the burning city behind.

As Wesley, the last of the long line, set foot outside the city limits, they noticed the vampires had remained blocks behind, growling low in their throats but making no attempts to move.

"Now what is wrong with them?" Buffy asked. Annie turned around and stared at them.

"Don't know mum." Annie said. She trotted back to where the vampires stood, and she warily took the claw of one of them. The vampire didn't utter a sound, but refused to move when Annie carefully pulled on its claw.

"What is wrong?" She asked. "You walked next to us. You were taking care of us, weren't you?"

"They were taking care of you."

Annie yelped and almost jumped when she heard the female's voice. She quickly turned around and saw a female's silhouette glowing in front of her. The bright light made the vampires take a step back, safe for the one whose claw was still firmly held between Annie's hand.

"What?" Annie asked, not knowing who was talking to her. The light soon diminished and there stood her grandmother.

"Grandma?"

"Hello, Annie." Joyce said, smiling at the child. "How are you?"

"Uh, hi grandma." Annie replied, letting go the claw of the vampire, who immediately cowered from the light being. "What brings you this far?"

"You, actually." Joyce smiled and hugged her granddaughter as the girl approached her. "You must have so many questions, dear."

"She's not the only one."

Both Joyce and Annie turned to see Buffy standing a few feet away, a sad smile on her face.

"Yes, I guess so." Joyce said and let go of Annie. "What Giles said is true. The vampires do recognize Annie as one of their own."

"Figures." Buffy crossed her arms. "What else?"

"They won't leave the city." Joyce revealed. "This is ground zero, Buffy. They won't leave the battle site."

"Great, so that allows us to leave and find somewhere to rest and reorganize." Buffy nodded.

"I don't think it will be so easy, dear." Joyce sighed. "This is the battle ground, and I don't think you'll be allowed to leave."

"What?" Buffy almost choked. "Don't give me more bad news, mom, please."

"I have to, dear." Joyce sadly said. "I told you this would happen. I talked to you. You chose this."

Joyce pointed at the burnt city, where sporadic explosions still went off.

"This city fell because of your choice, honey." Joyce continued. "Don't feel bad. This is war. This is what happens in a war. But it won't end so easy. So simple."

"What are you telling me?" Buffy ran her hands through her hair. "Just, please, don't… what are you telling me?"

"You can't leave the city." Joyce said, and pointed upwards. Dark colored planes flew over the city at supersonic speed, leaving sonic booms behind them. "The so called initiative has begun their attack."

"So they told me." Buffy nodded.

"They don't have the power to end this." Joyce shook her head. "They don't have weapons powerful enough to kill the dragons or destroy part of this army of darkness."

Buffy stood there, not moving at all, seeing how the planes deployed several missiles directed at the dragons. Some were avoided swiftly, while others found their mark and did nothing more than anger the creatures.

"Was wondering why they didn't attack us on our way out." Annie whispered. She turned to look at her grandmother. "They didn't attack because they knew we wouldn't get far, right?"

"You are very smart, Annie." Joyce nodded. "And I wish you were wrong."

"What does that mean?" Buffy asked, shaking her head. "What does that mean?"

"You know what it means." Joyce softly replied.

"That it doesn't matter what we do?" Buffy cried. "That it doesn't matter how hard I try, the only outcome will be a world war?"

"I told you, my dear. "Joyce firmly said. "I told you before. I warned you about this very thing."

"And what was I supposed to do?" Buffy sighed. "Just give up and let you rob them of their very essence?"

"We won't get into this again." Joyce shook her head. "You're not a child anymore and you'll have to learn to live with your decisions. I just came to tell you this is far from over. You should gather your troops and get ready for round 2."

"God, I can't believe I'm hearing this from you." Buffy almost choked. "Figures."

"No, Buffy, you don't get to be mad or angry at this." Joyce stepped right in front of her daughter's face. "You said you'd fight, well, this is your fight, and you'd better gear up and get ready to give them hell."

A loud explosion above them brought them back to the present, and they looked up to see the remains of two fighter jets pummeling to the ground, no parachutes in sight.

"Man, they're getting creamed." Annie said. "Those bloody idiots should leave asap."

"Riley knew what he was getting them into." Buffy said. "As do I. How much time we got, mum?"

"Not much." Joyce replied. "You'll be safe with these turok hans, Buffy. Have your troops rest as much as they can and then get ready."

Buffy nodded and took her mother's hand.

"I'm sorry for overreacting." She said. "I'm not used to getting into something I can't completely control."

"I know, dear." Joyce replied, caressing her daughter's head with her free hand. "But you have to keep calm and think things through."

"Already called more slayers." Buffy said. "I'm going to need them all, won't I?"

"Oh yes, dear." Joyce said, and sighed again, which Buffy had already learnt was a sign for more bad news.

"Ok, what is it now?"

"Sun won't come up tomorrow, my darling." Joyce revealed.

"There won't be a tomorrow until you either win or lose this war."

End of Chapter.


	52. Brimstone

**Chapter 51**

**Brimstone**

**A/N: **Chapter fifty one of the series..

**Disclaimer: **All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback: **Sure, as you wish.

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Outskirts of London, England

December 2017

A light rain was falling over the tired slayers and watchers huddled in a semi erect building left standing after the attacks of both the vampires, dragons and lately, the initiative.

Explosions were heard every once in a while, but they were becoming scarce and more spaced in between, meaning one side was winning the battle, and every one inside that building knew whose side it was.

Still, every once in a while few slayers went out, to see for themselves how the situation was progressing, and some even went out just to dance in the rain, wanting a way to vent their anger and worries, all under the careful watch of the huddled vampires crouching in the rain.

"Finally got some help from above, huh?" Willow said as she walked next to Buffy, who was leaning next to a rather large hole in one of the walls of the building, looking outside at her slayers in the rain.

"What?" Buffy asked, not knowing exactly what Willow was talking about.

"The rain." Willow said. "There are too many fires, but maybe the rain will extinguish some of the lesser ones."

"It should also cover our tracks." Xander said, coming up behind both women and handing them cans of 7up to each one of them.

"These are warm." Buffy complained as she held the can at arms length and slowly opened it. The can gave off a loud hiss and bubbles and liquid gathered in the small opening.

"And were you trying to pull a Bart Simpson and send me to a coma?" Buffy joked. "I swear, if this thing had exploded, I would have kicked your ass."

Both Willow and Xander laughed but tried to keep it quiet, seeing the bunch of friends sleeping on the floor.

"When are you going to wake them up?" Xander asked as the laughter died.

"Don't know." Buffy shrugged. "Was thinking about looking for the Initiative HQ and warn them of the not coming dawn."

"Still got our cell phones." Willow offered.

"Nah, Riley won't pick up phones right now." Buffy nodded towards the sky, and noted the lack of air traffic on it. "His planes have already fallen. Short of a nuclear attack, I don't know what he will do."

"So, you plannin' on going and talking to him?" Xander inquired. "Face to face?"

"From what mom said, I guess we could join forces, even if he is so adamant against it." Buffy said. "We could surely use their guns and rifles if what I saw in the vision is real."

"Was it so large, the army?" Xander asked.

"Huge." Buffy honestly replied. "Monsters I had not seen since that time in the alley. Several more dragons. Things I can't describe."

"We're looking at the worst scenario possible, then." Xander sighed, and he unconsciously approached Willow, who willingly stepped into his embrace. Buffy sighed as well, and wished she would have someone to lean unto.

"My God, Angel." She suddenly remembered. "Where could he be?"

"I could try a spell, y'know." Willow said. "Try to track him down."

"He can take care of himself." Buffy frowned. "But I guess we could warn him about not coming near."

"Maybe we should use those tracking spells and search for someone else." Buffy answered after thinking about it. "We shouldn't worry too much about him, but we should worry about the crazy girl he turned ages ago."

"Dru?" Willow asked.

"Mom said she's the leader of the army." Buffy nodded. "If we know where she is, maybe we'll know just how far away the army is."

"Can't be far."

Buffy turned around and saw Wesley standing in front of the hole in the wall.

"Can feel them." He announced. "The army is coming."

Buffy stared at him and then at the ever present female company Wesley kept. Illyria nodded as well.

"Damn, we'll have to hurry and set a camp with the initiative." Buffy smacked her hands. "Ok, Xander, please wake everyone up. We'll have to quicken our step and find camp base."

Xander did as instructed and Buffy turned to look at Wesley.

"How much time do you think we'll have?" She asked.

Wesley turned to look at Illyria and she frowned.

"Not much." He replied.

Buffy nodded and hurried up to help Xander and Willow wake everyone.

---------------------

Commander Finn received the latest report from a seriously mangled pilot, who had managed to eject minutes after the hell fire from a dragon had incapacitated his jet and had made it back to base camp.

Barely.

"Our missiles do squat to them, Commander." The man spoke and Riley could hear the air whizzing out of the man's lung. "They're fast, sir. Damn fast. We couldn't properly lock on them and…"

A severe coughing bout attacked the soldier and Riley dispatched him, not knowing if the pilot would survive.

He'd seen the reports, and had seen the action taking place, and as much as he didn't want to accept it, Buffy had been right.

They were falling like flies.

And the absence of vampires in the ground was alarming. He'd heard the radio feeds and he'd known there were at least three hundred hostiles on ground level, but his soldiers had yet to find or engage one of them.

Yet alone a sighting.

He flipped towards the several reports, feeling a bit of despair coming and quickly shaking it off. He had to remain calm, and he couldn't do it since the prime minister and the king himself had been calling periodically to know what was happening.

That, plus General Ross was on his way to base camp, to supervise why it was taking him and his so called experts this much time to regain control of the city.

"Sir, some news from the outside perimeter." A soldier entered his tent and stood firm, saluting his commander.

"Go ahead."

"There's been a sighting, sir." The soldier spoke.

"At ease, soldier." Riley said. "What is it about?"

"The sentry identified a contact, sir." The soldier said as he stood firm. "A lone contact. A man, sir."

"Do we have positive ID?"

"Yes sir." The soldier handed Riley a blurry photograph. Riley nodded and dismissed the soldier. Commander Finn frowned when he saw the image, quite clear even though it was taken in the night and from quite a distance.

Riley growled as he crushed the photograph and tossed it away.

"Angel, what the hell are you doing here?"

---------------------

Buffy and Faith had decided to run ahead and try to find the base camp on their own, not wanting to thin the herd, in a manner of speaking, and move faster on their own.

Annie had wanted to be with them, but Buffy figured the turok hans had not attacked because of her, and against all her wishes for her daughter to have a normal life, she'd left her daughter in charge of leading the slayers and watchers to them.

As soon as they would find the base camp, Buffy had clarified.

Together, both slayers moved as fast as they could, heading to where Willow had been able to pinpoint the nearest location where she could feel Riley.

"Something's not right." Buffy said as she sped through the abandoned and charred streets of outer London.

"Glad to have you on board, B." Faith said, also running as fast as she could next to the other slayer. "What tipped you off?"

"Not like that." Buffy replied, leaping completely above an abandoned car. "Can't shake this feeling that something is completely wrong."

"Way to state the obvious." Faith chuckled. "Well, we're almost where Willow told us we'd find the…"

Both slayers stopped completely in their tracks, not believing what they were seeing.

Base camp was there, but there was no movement and there were no soldiers anywhere on sight.

"Talk about your ghost camps." Faith said, but immediately frowned. "Or is that ghost towns?"

"There are also ghost ships." Buffy said. "Found one of them six years ago."

"Really? What was in it?" Faith asked.

"Duh. Ghosts."

Faith humph-ed and remained quiet when she realized there was something indeed wrong. Buffy didn't know what to do, and didn't want to be caught by surprise. Holding her arm out, Faith understood the signal and stood still.

"Anyone here?" Buffy called out loud. "My name is Buffy Summers!"

Seconds ticked by and no response came.

"Subtle." Faith whispered. "What was that all about?"

"Want to be shot by paranoid soldiers?" Buffy whispered back. "Want them to know it's friends. Or whatever we may be."

Faith nodded and then screamed as well.

"Ahoy! Anyone there?"

Buffy frowned but joined in the shouting.

More seconds went by and no one answered.

"What do you think?" Buffy asked. "They're taking the undercover thing too far?"

"Don't think so." Faith answered. "There's no movement at all. Shouldn't they have a scouter or something like that?"

"Probably." Buffy shrugged. "That looks like the main tent, let's go check it out."

Faith nodded and both made their way into the largest tent erected on the field. They carefully peeked inside but found no one in it.

"Weird." Faith said, walking freely inside the tent. "Looks like they left in a hurry."

"Not good." Buffy said, looking around. "Not good. We shouldn't be here."

Buffy grabbed Faith's arm and tugged her out, only to be greeted by a pair of eyes she hadn't seen in too long.

"Hello, lover. Leaving so soon?"

Buffy shivered. She knew that tone, and it wasn't the tone she'd heard for the past fourteen years. It was a tone she'd heard more than twenty years ago, when she was still young and had felt heart ache for the first time in her life.

"Hello, Angelus."

End of Chapter.


	53. Band Aid

**Chapter 52**

**Band Aid**

**A/N: **Chapter fifty one of the series.

**Disclaimer: **All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback: **Sure, as you wish.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outskirts of London, England

December 2017

Buffy sighed and stared into the eyes of the man who'd been her husband for the past fifteen years. Her partner, and someone she thought would be her equal and her companion for the rest of her life.

Turned out the rest of her life had already happened.

"So, no kiss?" Angelus sneered. Buffy didn't answer and held Faith's arm as the other slayer made an attempt to attack. Buffy shook her head and Faith nodded, feeling the need to erase the sick smile on Angelus' face.

"Aww, not answering." Angelus smirked, and out of nowhere produced a cigarette and lit it with his newly acquired silver lighter. "Probably want to avoid telling me something I could use, isn't it?"

Buffy remained quiet and pulled Faith to her when Angelus began walking to them. If history had taught her something, was to never let Angelus get the upper hand or let him into your brain. Once you fell in his web, there was no way out.

"I was thinking about surprising you, y'know?" Angelus said, circling them like a predator surrounding its prey. "Show up, apologize a bit. Grovel some time, I mean, you loved to have me under your thumb. Maybe appeal to your superior slayerness and swallow my pride some more. Maybe even have another go at you. Angry sex was always good, wasn't it?"

Buffy clenched her fists but didn't fall. She wasn't worried about his verbal attacks, she'd had years of practice, and she could zone him out while looking for other attackers or other dangers.

It was Faith she was worried about. The other slayer had always felt overprotective of Angel, and even when Wesley had told them all that the only way to get rid of Angelus was to jam a stake through his heart, Faith had done everything in her power to prevent that.

"You know, the silent treatment gets boring quickly." Angelus growled and threw his cigarette away. "But, I'm not stupid enough to try to take on two slayers at the same time."

"That'd be a first." Faith blurted out, and Buffy tugged on her sleeve and shot her a murderous look.

"Oh, getting on the slayer's nerves?" Angelus sneered. "Right, you were the feisty and wild one, weren't you? I knew I had married the wrong slayer. You must be a tiger on bed."

"Like you would ever know." Faith spat anew, and Buffy sighed. She could remain as light headed as she wanted to, but Faith would always be controlled by her emotions.

"That your comeback? Tsk, you're getting soft on your old age." Angelus laughed, and then roamed all over Faith's body with his eyes. "Then again, I don't think you'll be soft anywhere. Even at your age, still looking good, Faithy."

"Wish I could say the same, Angel." Faith shot back. "Like the gray on your temples?"

"Oh, this little thing?" Angelus cruelly smiled as he touched his temples. "This will go away. One way or the other. Thing is, I won't get any more. Immortal and all."

Faith smiled, and was about to say something more when Buffy grabbed her arm and placed her hand over the slayer's mouth.

"As amusing as this has been, we have places to be and things to see." Buffy said. "Nice talking to you. See ya!"

"No need to run, wifey." Angelus said, and began walking away. "I'll be the one to take off. There are things I'd like to show you, later."

Buffy nodded and Angelus bowed and walked away.

The slayer stared at him until he was lost in the dark, as she frowned the whole time when realizing she hadn't felt him at all.

"Didn't feel him as well, did you?" Faith asked, once they had seen their enemy disappear. Buffy shook her head and kept looking around.

"I can't worry about him now." Buffy said.

"Uhm, we're in the middle of a war, and now Angelus has returned and you can't worry about him?" Faith asked, shocked at Buffy's nonchalant reply.

"Look, Angelus may be a bastard but he's not a dumb bastard." Buffy replied, still looking around. "He's strong and resourceful, but even he wouldn't be able to take on the Initiative alone."

"We don't know if he's alone." Faith said.

"True, but there doesn't seem to be more enemies, and the distinct lack of blood on the ground is highly suspicious." Buffy clarified.

Faith looked around and noticed that as well. She'd seen Angelus in action, and she thoroughly noted the distinctive absence of destruction.

"Where is everybody then?" Faith asked. Buffy walked inside the main tent again and waited until the other slayer walked inside before answering.

"Riley had never met Angelus." Buffy said, and went quickly over her memories to check. "I think. Still, Riley and Angel never… got along, and I don't believe Commander Finn here would have let either Angel or Angelus get near enough to attack him."

"And?"

"I'm guessing Angelus got to a couple of them before Riley fled." Buffy said, going over the desk's contents.

"Isn't that ex of yours a bit hard headed?" Faith asked.

"He may be hard headed, but he wasn't stupid." Buffy answered. "You have fought Angelus before. The safe thing would be to fall back and think your next move."

"And you're going over this guy's things because…?" Faith asked.

"Looking for a radio." Buffy replied, and her mouth turned into a smile when she found exactly what she was looking for. "And, bingo."

"Do you know the channel?" Faith asked. Buffy gave her a look that clearly indicated she had no idea.

"I'm guessing there won't be many open channels." Buffy said, turning knob until the digital screen showed a '1'.

"Here goes nothing." Buffy said and clicked the button. "Can anyone hear me?"

Faith crossed her arms and chuckled. "That your message?"

"Shut up." Buffy clicked the button again. "Any member of the initiative out there? Can anyone hear me?"

Only static answered, and Buffy didn't know what to do anymore.

"Might as well head back to the others." Faith muttered. "Can't waste more time here. Not now that Angelus knows we're here."

"Who is this and why are you using this channel?" An electronic voice cracked through the radio.

"My name is Buffy." The slayer said. "Who is this? Are you with the initiative?"

"You are a civilian, get off this channel." The voice crackled again.

"No!" Buffy shouted. "Can you get Commander Finn? I need to talk to him."

Silence was their only answer for several seconds, until a familiar voice came over the radio.

"Glad to hear from you, Buffy." Riley's voice carried a sarcastic tone. "I know we may not be on the best terms, but you could have warned us about that husband of yours."

"I honestly didn't know, Riley." Buffy said. "He had been missing for quite some time."

"Whatever. He slaughtered many before we managed to stall him." Riley replied. "Where are you and why are you using this channel?"

"I went looking for you." Buffy said. "We were on our way out of the city. The council took some heavy hits and we had to evacuate."

"Wait, are you on our base camp?" Riley asked.

"That's where I found one of your radios." Buffy replied. "Look, I saw what happened with your planes, Riley. Maybe we could help each other."

More silence.

"Riley?"

"Very well." Riley finally answered. "What do you know?"

"I know there's an army coming this way." Buffy said. "Larger than anything we've seen so far. I don't know why, but the sun won't come up tomorrow."

"What?"

"There's more." Buffy said. "But I guess you don't want me to speak about it over the radio."

"We'll meet on middle ground." Riley said. "Go back from where you came. I will find you."

"Riley, come on…"

"Buffy, I'm a soldier. I have been a soldier all my life. I will find you."

The communication was cut and Buffy sighed.

"Let's get back."

-----------------------

Twenty minutes later, Buffy, Faith, Riley and a small unit of soldiers were sitting around a small fire on an abandoned building.

"Man, this rain sure has ruined these clothes." Buffy complained. Faith and Riley chuckled, the absurdity of the comment getting to them.

"What?" Buffy asked.

"Good to see you're not nervous." Riley said. "I sure as hell am." He whispered, making sure his men didn't hear.

"As you should be." Buffy said. "I hate to say this, but I told you."

"I know." Riley shrugged. "Thought we had the firepower to take them out."

"Those are dragons, Riley:" Buffy stated. "Dragons. Fourteen years ago it took hours to take one of them down. One. And we had a goddess on our side."

"A goddess?"

"Long story. What do you say now about joining forces?" Buffy asked.

"Don't know, Buffy." Riley said. "My men are a bit demoralized right now, and I couldn't afford to submit my command to you, or Giles for that matter."

"I heard something about what he did." Buffy said. "He might have been wrong, but his reasons made sense."

"Tell that to my men." Riley chuckled. "Some of them used photographs of him as target practice."

Buffy flinched. "Look, this is not about lines of command. This is about the survival of us all."

Riley frowned.

"It is really bad, isn't it?" Riley asked. "If you're telling us to work together, if must be really, really bad."

"Worst scenario possible." Faith intervened. "But we may have some aces under our sleeves."

Riley narrowed his eyes and looked at both slayers.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah." Buffy said, thinking of Annie and the strange command she had over the turok hans. "Safe to say that you won't have to worry about the turok hans."

"You took them all out?" Riley asked.

"Nah, but they're under control." Buffy replied. "Bottom line is, the Council is offline. We sent a distress call for slayers all over the world. We're gonna need all the help we can get."

"Even from us?" Riley asked.  
"They now have both Drusilla and Angelus on their side." Faith revealed as well. Riley blanched and rubbed his face with his hands.

"It get worse." Buffy said. "I, uh, had a vision."

"Bad vision, right?" Riley mumbled between his hands.

"One of the worst." Buffy offered a sad smile. "This attack? It's an organized attack."

Buffy spent the next twenty minutes retelling what her mother had told her, what the other light beings had said, and how the battle had progressed before the initiative struck.

After some more tense moments of silence, Riley nodded and stood up.

"You've convinced me." He simply said. "Even though you sure know how to paint a grim scene."

"What will your men do?" Faith asked.

"My men answer to me, and only me." Riley said. "They'll do what I order them to do."

Faith nodded and Riley turned around to walk away.

"Riley." Buffy called. Commander Finn stopped and turned to look at her.

"What happened to Sam?"

Riley seemed to think about answering or not, but he sighed and looked away.  
"She's back in the States." He said. "Don't know where."

Buffy didn't ask anything else.

----------------------------

Giles' cell phone began ringing and forced him to slow down to answer.

It had taken Xander and Willow quite some time to successfully wake up every slayer and watcher asleep, and had even wasted more time dealing with the occasional panic attack. It seemed not every slayer could get used to a sudden and massive apocalypse.

'Children.' Giles thought. But even his own had been children when their first apocalypse struck, and he didn't remember any of them panicking. Strangely enough, the only one who had succumbed to fear had been Wesley when he'd been first assigned to Faith and Sunnydale.

The ringing brought him back to reality and he wondered again if cell phones were water proof.

"Hello?"

"Hi grandpa." Buffy said.

"Hi, dear, where are you?"

"Walking back to you." Buffy answered. "Where are you?"

"Trying to follow your lead, dear. What happened?"

"Good news and very, very bad news."

"As usual, what is it?"

"Since I know that human radar will be listening, please, Xander, be quiet about what you're going to hear."

"Xander is several feet away, Buffy, what is it?"

"He'll hear, I know." Buffy sighed. "Good news is the initiative will help us."

"And the bad news?"

"Angel is back." Buffy said. Giles carefully looked at his son's back, but didn't notice anything different.

"And why would that be bad?"

"Cause it's not Angel exactly. Try more along the lines of Angelus."

This time Xander stopped and turned around, which caused Giles to frown, realizing there was no privacy whatsoever if his son was around.

"Xander heard." Giles said. "And so did I. How do you know this?"

"I saw him. Faith saw him."

"You fought?"

"Nope. But he did pay the initiative base camp a visit."

"Bloody hell."

"Right. How is that child of mine?"

"She's fine, leading the way."

"You're gonna have to ask her to stay behind with the turok hans. The initiative agreed to meet us halfway and I don't know what could happen if we get the soldiers and the vampires in the nearby vicinity."

"Very well, dear." Giles sighed. "We'll reorganize."

"K, bye."

As soon as Giles closed his cell, Xander appeared next to him.

"What she said…"

"Yes." Giles replied. "Those are really bad news."

"God, what are we going to tell Annie?" Xander whispered. Giles frowned and his mind raced in a thousand different directions. Buffy had been more worried about other things, but both Xander and Giles felt Annie would be a perfect target for Angelus.

"I think our time here is up." Xander said. "Drusilla, Angelus, Spike."

"They still haven't attacked." Giles said. "Form what Buffy said, Angelus killed some soldiers. Spike killed Kennedy. Drusilla hasn't struck yet."

"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"What if those three are together?"

Giles thought about it for a second.

"Don't think so." He finally answered. "Angel..us, hated Spike. Spike obviously hated both Angel and Angelus, and he and Drusilla didn't part in exactly the best of circumstances. Remember what Buffy told us when Spike first professed his love for her?"

"The cattle prod."

"So I don't think those three are together." Giles said. "At least Spike and Angelus won't be."

Xander nodded. "We're gonna have to tell everyone."

"Let's wait until Buffy gets back." Giles said.

"We should at least warn Annie." Xander countered.

"Very well." Giles sighed. "Do call her, please."

Xander nodded and sprinted to the front of the pilgrims. Giles rubbed his temples and thought about the best way to break the news to his granddaughter.

He closed his eyes and wished everything could be as simple as when he only had to care about training his rebellious slayer.

"What up, grandpa?" Annie's voice brought Giles out of his thoughts and he was forced to open his eyes. He saw a young girl, younger than Buffy when she'd been called, and he wondered if Annie's innocence would survive the night.

"There's something I have to tell you, dear." Giles said, and noticed how Xander's hand found its way onto Annie's shoulder.

"It's about your father."

End of Chapter


	54. Angels Stabbing Me Inside

**Chapter 53**

**Angels Stabbing Me Inside**

**A/N: **Chapter fifty three of the series.

**Disclaimer: **All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback: **Sure, as you wish.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outskirts of London, England

December 2017

"What about dad?" Annie asked, hope surging in her heart. "Did you find him?"

"Yes, dear." Giles said, not knowing how to say what he had to say. "Uhm, your mother found him."

"Great, is he ok?"

"Listen, Annie, we have to talk and I guess you'd better sit down." Giles said.  
"I'd rather walk, grandpa. I don't want to stand still in the rain." Annie replied.

"What I have to tell you is rather private, dear." Giles softly said. "I don't want anyone else to listen to this."

"Well, let's walk slower."

"Right."

They slowed down until the rest of the group stood some yards away, which also prompted the turok hans to slow down and keep an eye on Annie's whereabouts.

"Isn't that cool?" Annie asked. Little did she know that the very presence of the turok hans and their sudden servitude had been grating on Giles' nerves.

"Yes, quite interesting."

"Now, what did you want to tell me?"

Giles knew he had to break the news as gently as he could, but he was also aware that a loose Angelus was a very, very dangerous threat to the child standing next to him.

"You've read the stories, dear." He began. "You've seen the engravings. You know some stories. We couldn't always keep you away from the Net, so I guess you have read what your father… was and what he did when he was young."

"Actually, not much." Annie replied. "After that bout with the crazy vampire, I didn't feel the need to learn more about my dad's past."

"Really?"

"I have an idea of what he did." Annie continued. "It's hard not to. Many watchers don't like him. I have heard the whispers and have read some stories."

"So you know who Angelus is."

"Is?" Annie asked, suddenly stopping. "Don't you mean was?"

Giles could see the wheels turning in Annie's head, and he was once again surprised at how smart the child really was.

'Wonder where she got it from.' He seriously thought, and he prayed to God that it wasn't a trait of Angel's darker persona.

"I sure would like to tell you you're right, dear." Giles said, staring into Annie's blue eyes. "Your mother seems to have found him."

"My dad, or…?"

"She found him." Giles replied. "But as Angelus."

Giles saw the little girl in front of him and noticed how her eyes grew larger and shinier. He knew there were tears forming and the small tremor that shook her confirmed his earlier statement. The girl had read some of the things her father had done while soulless, and now she had to deal with the fact that the monster itself was back.

"What…? How?" Annie whispered, and Giles noticed Xander had disappeared a while back.

'Damn you.' Giles thought. 'I don't know how to ease a young girl anymore.'

The old man approached the young girl and softly patted her head, unsure of what to do anymore. True to her mother's genes, Annie did not crumble and seemed to draw all inside of her before turning her water shed eyes until they met Giles' own.

"He's coming after mum?" Annie asked. "Or after me?"

"We don't know, Annie." Giles said. "But I thought it'd be better if you knew it."

"So I don't run to him as soon as he appears, right?" Annie said, and this time two tears fell from her eyes. Giles thought about panicking, but Xander appeared and saved him from his predicament.  
"Annie?" Dawn said, rushing to her niece's side when she noticed the tears. "What happened, honey?"  
Annie didn't reply, and instead grabbed onto Dawn's clothes and buried her face on her aunt's neck, letting the tears flow freely. Dawn instantly closed her arms around the small, crying girl and held her tight.

"What happened?" She asked Giles, more worried than ever before.

"Buffy found Angel." Giles said. "More accurately, she found Angelus."

"What!" Dawn almost shrieked, and felt her niece shake from the sobs. Dawn cursed in her mind and began rubbing the child's back.

"God, it's all going to hell." She muttered. "We have to warn the girls and the watchers. They all know him and could be in danger."

"The ones more likely to be in danger already know." Giles said. "Don't tell the girls and watchers right now. Don't want them more demoralized. It's hard enough as it is."

"We have to tell someone." Dawn said.

"Tell Willow." Giles replied. "Tell Wesley."

"Illyria and Connor?" Dawn asked.

"No." Giles cut her off. "We know how Connor reacts to Angelus. Illyria is not very trust worthy as well. Just tell Wesley. He should be able to feel him if he's near."

"He should?" Xander asked.

"They were once members of the Circle of the Black Thorn." Giles explained. "Logic implies he should be able to feel him, with his less than normal abilities."

"You've got a point there." Xander admitted. "Ok, I'll go tell Willow. You sure you don't want us to warn the girls?"

"We'll have to be very careful." Giles continued. "We'll stop here and set camp."

"Right." Xander turned around and ran to where he knew Willow was. Giles looked at Annie and Dawn, who were still in a tight embrace.

"I'll go talk to Wesley." Giles said. "You two all right?"

Dawn nodded, the girl in her arms had stopped shaking and seemed to be composing herself.

"Relax, honey." Dawn whispered. "You have to remain calm, please."

Annie nodded against Dawn's neck, and Dawn hoped the girl in her arms should have never gotten to know or see Angelus.

"I know it's not fair, but you have to be calm if we want to get through this." Dawn continued.

"Is he as bad as everyone says?" Annie weakly asked.

"Won't lie to you, honey." Dawn said, caressing Annie's hair. "He's worst than anything you could imagine."

"Wow, I am the daughter of a psychotic maniac." Annie sniffed.

"That man is not your father anymore." Dawn said. "You can't think of him as such. You mustn't let your guard down in front of him. Ever. If we get to fight him, you'll have to ignore everything he says and attack. If you hesitate for an instant, he will kill you. It won't be fast, or pretty. It would be slow and very painful."

"God, what is he?"

"He's a monster, Annie. A real, powerful monster." Dawn replied.

Annie shook her head and stepped back from Dawn's embrace. She wiped her face and nose with her sleeve, to which Dawn made a face.

"Don't have any Kleenex, aunt." Annie smirked. "Very well, I heard grandpa say we'd have to camp here. Gonna have my guys secure the perimeter."

"Want me to come with?"  
"Yes, please." Annie nodded. "Don't really want to be alone."

Dawn smiled and followed her niece towards the waiting turok hans.

---------------------

"You're taking this awfully calm." Faith said, looking at the other woman walking in silence next to her.

"What can I do?" Buffy replied. "I've freaked out enough as it is. I want to remain as focused as I can."

"Listen, B, I know you're putting the weight of the world on your shoulders again, but a bit of emotion won't hurt anyone." As soon as Faith stopped talking, Buffy stopped walking and stared at the other slayer.

"What do you want me to do, Faith?" Buffy muttered. "Throw myself at the ground and throw a tantrum over my husband's recent changes?"

"It could be a start." Faith replied.

"Faith, Angel has not been precisely a model husband." Buffy revealed. "He hasn't cared about his daughter or me for some time now. He disappeared, Faith. Disappeared, when the shit hit the fan. He left us. Just like that. I mean, it's not as if I'm a damsel in distress, but he has a fourteen year old girl, Faith. Even us at that age were pretty much defenseless."

"Annie is everything but defenseless."

"That's not the point!" Buffy snapped. "The point is that a fourteen year old girl is going through too much. She's a teenage girl who happens to have a supernatural family and is now in the middle of an apocalypse. She should have both her parents next to her, Faith! And what did her father do? At the first sign of impending doom, the man went off and turned himself back into my worst nightmare! Do you understand?"

"He saved me, Buffy." Faith simply said. "He believed in me when no one else did."

"And you repaid him in full, Faith:" Buffy said. "The last time he turned into Angelus it was only your actions that saved him. If it wasn't for you, he'd been staked, either by me, by Wesley or Connor. But right now? What he did? It's a betrayal of the worst order. He ran away, Faith. He ran away."

"We don't know what happened…"

"We sure as hell do!" Buffy interrupted. "You saw what he was, Faith. Do you honestly believe any vampire could get close to him to turn him? He was my equal, Faith. A male slayer, if you want to, but the man Sp…"

Buffy closed her mouth, thinking she had already said too much.  
"What?"

"Nothing." Buffy waved her hand. "You want to cry and scream? Go ahead. Want to say it's unfair? Be my guest. Want to have pity? Do it alone. Want to help him? Then you're the enemy as well. I'm going to say this once, Faith, I am in this to save my daughter right now. I don't care what happens to any of you. I once died to save my sister, but I sure as hell will kill right now to save my daughter!"

Faith closed her mouth and looked away. Buffy had turned red because of her anger, and deep inside of her, the sixteen year old girl who'd always loved Angel was crying as hard as she could, but the thirty six year old woman outside couldn't grant herself the luxury of tears. Not anymore. She had grown up and Angel had done every single thing in his power to alienate himself from his family. More than once she had smelt the alcohol in his breath and more than once he hadn't slept in his own house.

More than once he didn't cross a word with his daughter for days.

"Hey, B, sorry." Faith muttered and both began walking again. "It's just that…, I mean, I don't know how you deal with your feelings, but I kinda got confused, y'know. Your husband reappeared and delivered devastating news and you didn't even flinch. I mean…"

"I know." Buffy chuckled. "I don't want to give off this ice queen vibe, but I can't allow myself these moments. When we walk out of this, I'll cry for a whole week. I swear."

Faith chuckled as well and they continued walking in silence.

-----------------------

An hour later, Riley and his commandoes had already met with Buffy and her slayers. The tension in the air was palpable and the turok hans were practically bursting with pent up energy, feeling restless around the enemy. Annie was having a hard time controlling them, and five vampires had already torn themselves apart.

Riley smiled as he approached Buffy and ignored the angry stares received by the slayers.

"It's fucking unbelievable." He said, looking at Annie. "How can she control them?"

"Promise not to tell?" Buffy replied, smiling. "We think it's her heritage."

"Ahh. Being the daughter of Angel and all." Riley nodded. "It's quite interesting, you know."

"I don't like that tone, Commander Finn."

"No, no, no." Riley lifted his arms. "Nothing like that. It's just that it's… fantastic, is all."

"I know." Buffy sighed. "Couldn't believe it myself."

"So, what's the plan?" Riley asked.  
"Uh, haven't thought so far." Buffy chuckled. "I guess you should talk to Giles or Xander. I'm not good at planning these things, y'know."

"You have survived plenty of these wars, Buffy." Riley said. "And all of them have remained by your side. I don't think that's because you don't know how to keep them alive."

"I knew how to keep alive five or six of them." Buffy honestly replied. "These numbers? I'm sincerely overwhelmed."

"Fine. I'll go talk to them and we'll come up with some ideas."

"Good. Let me know when you got something."

"Aye, aye, sir."

Buffy laughed and patted Riley's arm as the soldier made his way towards Giles. Buffy turned around and bumped into Wesley and Illyria.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Remember what I told you earlier today?" He asked.

Buffy nodded.

"Well, they're closer this time."

"How far?"

Wesley pointed towards east and Buffy scrunched her nose as she followed his gaze.

"Don't see a thing."

"Look closer."

Buffy shook her head and tried to focus, looking for whatever was there. A gasp escaped her lips as she noticed the dark patch in the horizon shift and slowly move forward.

"That's…"

"Not a shadow." Wesley voiced her concern. "Must be thousands."

"God…"

"Not all of them half breeds." Illyria announced. "Many of them roamed the earth when I was ruler."

"That's…, that's not good." Buffy stuttered.

"That's an understatement." Wesley said. "We have twenty, thirty minutes at the most."

"What do you suggest?"

Wesley did not answer immediately and instead looked at Illyria. He hadn't been in the alley that time, but he'd read and heard how the goddess had fought bravely and had been instrumental in taking out the army sent against them.

"Split us in groups." Wesley said. "Talk to Riley and Giles. We'll have to take separate targets."

He looked up and noticed the dragons flying in circles.

"They know as well." Wesley pointed up. "They will probably strike as soon as the army enters the battle ground."

"That means, goodbye turok hans." Buffy said, not believing what was about to happen.

"Go talk to Giles." Wesley pulled Buffy's arm. "Tell him I need volunteers."

"Volunteers? For what?"

Wesley grinned, and something cold ran through Buffy's spine.

"I'm going to take down those dragons."

End of Chapter.


	55. Second Strike

**Chapter 54**

**Second Strike**

**A/N: **Chapter fifty four of the series.

**Disclaimer: **All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback: **Sure, as you wish.

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Outskirts of London, England

December 2017

Buffy tried to keep her head above the water, in a manner of speech.

She saw the bewilderment in Giles' eyes and heard the rumor begin to spread like powder. The slayers and watchers heard the bad news and the overall feeling of fear escalated to a few notches below all out panic.

Twenty minutes, thirty at the most, was their difference between life and death. The brave ones picked up their swords and guns and sat, waiting the moment to unleash the emotions inside of them and face the battle.

Buffy had read once that the ones that make it alive out of war were those who thought they were dead already. They fought with reckless abandon and didn't care if they lived at all. They entered the fray not hoping to get out, and those were the ones who fought harder, who pushed a bit more than the regular soldier.

Because that was what they were that endless night. They were all soldiers, and they were about to march into a war whose outcome produced more than land, or wealth, or their own lives. It held their individuality and their way of living in itself, and the slayers knew they couldn't go on living as normal humans once they had been warriors.

Buffy shook her head, trying not to think too much. She had once learned the hard way that thinking too much lead to many options, and many options led to hesitation, and hesitation led to getting girls killed. She had buried too many loved ones and lost too much, and didn't want to lose one war. She had managed to win the others, as painful and as hard as it might had been, but she wanted to keep the score on her side.

She looked at everyone moving too fast, too anxious, and wanted to be as relaxed as those few she'd seen before, to be as quiet as them and as peaceful as them. She knew those would survive, or would die saving many lives, because that was what heroes did, and she was sure all the slayers and watchers standing next to her were heroes.

She even thought Connor, Wesley and Illyria were heroes. They had taken lives, but they had saved the world many times. She remembered the epitaph Xander had engraved in her tombstone, that fateful summer years ago.

'She saved the world. A lot.'

It was corny as hell and she would have scoffed if he'd asked her beforehand what her epitaph should be.

But there was truth in the words, even though she couldn't take the credit all to herself. She'd had help in every apocalypse she'd avoided. She was sure she couldn't have done it all by herself, and she sure as hell wouldn't want to enter a fight without her army.

Without her generals.

She kept staring at her friends and fell into the routine of handing weapons or assigning positions. She looked at Willow and couldn't even remember the hurt girl that had tried to end the world once. What a load of cookies had followed that incident, even if they had to be shipped all the way from England to Sunnydale.

She looked at Xander, who had perhaps lost more than all of them. He'd lost women he loved. He'd lost the woman he'd loved the most. He'd lost his colors. He'd lost his innocence.

Still he stood by her side.

She looked at Giles. The wise man who had turned into her father. She couldn't help but remember a song that had once brought tears to her eyes, making her see how her own biological father had not been there for her.

'_You're still young, that's your fault, there's so much you have to go through_.'

How true those words were, and now that he didn't stand so straight, and the gray had covered his head.

'_I was once like you are now, and I know that it's not easy to be calm, when you find something going on_.'

She felt tears once again in her eyes, and she swore she'd take him for dinner or something when it would all end. The man was her father, even though there was no biological trace of it on her body, the man had bled for her, had cried with her, had held her baby daughter when she'd been born, and had walked her down the aisle.

The man was her father, as much as he was Xander's and Willow's.

She looked at Dawn, and couldn't help but try to see the young, freckled girl who cried with thunderstorms but could kill spiders when no one else in the house could. She remembered both stories, the one with the blue eyed girl and the one Dawn-free.

She liked better the ones where Dawn was there. She remembered the letters Dawn had written the summer she'd left Sunnydale after the Acathla incident. She remembered the quiet tears her sister had given her when she'd returned home, and remembered the really disgusting chocolate cake the girl had tried to bake.

She saw that, and also saw the incredible woman Dawn had become. She knew she wasn't ugly, and in fact had accepted her natural beauty and sometimes used it to her advantage.

But if she was beautiful, Dawn had become gorgeous.

She saw her other sister, Faith, and her only thought could be resumed into: I save you every night. She knew where she had heard that before and didn't want to think about it. She only hoped she could save her when it mattered.

And finally, she looked at her daughter, and swore to God that she would protect her with her life. She was the gift the Powers had given to the slayer, and Buffy woke every day thinking the lovely girl had only been a dream.

The girl was a reality, and Buffy felt so proud of her. She made a mental note to tell her when the time came, and she added to let the girl know she loved her, every day of her life.

Time went by so fast, and in an even faster motion, the situation turned from bad to worse, as Buffy saw the terror in the eyes of the soldiers and in the eyes of many of her warriors.

Her back to the east, she knew exactly what the several pair of eyes in front of her were seeing. She had seen it in her vision, and knew what kind of odds they were facing. She didn't have to turn to know what awaited them, and she once again cursed the Partners for robbing her of her ability to feel the enemy. She slowly heard growls and screams, and could feel the warm dust surround her, lifted by the several pair of feet stomping behind.

Buffy sighed and looked around, seeing the warriors in front of her take action and run towards her. She now saw in slow motion how swords were brandished, how guns were loaded and how arrows began flying around her. She smiled as she saw the heroes in front of her charge, brave looks in their faces, and saw how the loyal Xander pushed Giles behind and dragged him away from the line of fire.

How proud she felt of them.

She saw Annie give her orders and saw the confusion of the turok hans, being ordered to attack their allies. But blood was stronger, and she saw their unlikely allies charge next to her heroes.

Buffy smiled. She had seen too many war movies to know there would be a loud crash when the two lines would meet. She had heard the sound before in her own battles, and knew the moment she would hear the crash she'd let the slayer inside take charge. Buffy would take a step back and would enjoy the show.

She closed her eyes for an instant, now instinctively knowing when their enemies would strike. She inhaled deeply and imprinted the scent of the night.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Faith running directly towards her, waving two swords, one in each hand, and smiling ferociously at her. Buffy lifted her arm and received the tossed sword.

The moment Faith passed her, Buffy knew it was on.

The second strike had begun.

Buffy turned around and swung her sword with all her strength.

Boom.

End of Chapter

**A/N2:** The song Buffy is thinking about is Cat Stevens' 'Father and Son'. Heard that song when I was very, very young, and it always makes me think about my dad.

By the way, to all of you who are still reading this, it is May, you know, and there is a holiday in this month, the 14th, to be precise.

So,

Happy mother's day, to all of you mums reading this.


	56. Glory Be

**Chapter 55**

**Glory Be**

**A/N: **Chapter fifty fifth of the series. Looks like my whining did nothing to increase exponentially the number of reviews received.

Still, there is but one faithful reader, the ever loyal Tamara.

Seems you are the fuel of this vehicle, lady, I had thought about sending all to hell and stop writing. But if there is still one of you reading, then I'll post the following chapters until the story finish.

So, thanks, ladycat713, your words are thoroughly appreciated.

**Disclaimer: **All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback: **Sure, as you wish.

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Outskirts of London, England

December 2017

The sound of swords clashing and bones breaking could be heard for five miles around ground zero.

The army was not quite as large as Buffy had pictured in her mind, but they were as ferocious as they had been that night behind the Hyperion, and the numbers had grown and the known enemies had grown in size.

Massive demons swung their heavy arms and tossed the strong slayers around. The initiative soldiers and watchers tried to provide cover fire, but the melee proved to be too confusing and had soon resorted to pick up hand weapons and enter the battle.

The light rain was suddenly picking up strength, and the ground beneath their feet was no longer cement, but dirt and grass slowly turning into mud and grime, causing light feet to move slower and heavier, but also making heavy fighters sink and topple to the sides.

However, considering the numbers and the level of exhaustion on the slayers' side, the battle proved to be quite even with the aid of the turok hans, valiantly fighting to protect Annie and those under her wing from the armies of hell

Yet, Buffy was growing tired, having fought already for hours in the night, and she knew most of her slayers were tired as well. She was trying not to think about death from above, and wondered how the hell Wesley would try to stop the winged harbingers of destruction.

She chuckled, remembering movies, and wondered if actors would faint when seeing a real war between humans and monsters.

For starters, there were gallons and gallons of blood in the battle field. She had to wipe her eyes frequently, whiffs of plasma landing on her face every two or three seconds, and she had long accepted her clothes wouldn't be usable ever again.

Wiping her eyes again, she felt the pang in her stomach once again, signaling the death of yet another slayer. She knew several of them wouldn't walk away from this, but she hadn't expected so many of them falling so fast.

Falling like flies.

They were the strongest humans alive, and they were dropping quickly. Fortunately, she also saw the number of demons diminish, and pushed harder, knowing they were approaching the breaking point.

If they could manage to hold on for so long, maybe they had a shot at it.

Strangely, the chance was taken out of her hands when suddenly the enemy began retreating. Buffy smiled and with a battle cry urged her soldiers to strike harder and faster, feeling she had the upper hand for once in the battle.

The remaining slayers heard their leader and with a surge of pure adrenaline pushed as hard as Buffy did and as viciously as she did. The wounded and physically weaker watchers and soldiers were inspired by it, and in a surge of manly pride, struck harder to be every bit as equal as their stronger female allies.

Utterly spent, Buffy struck one final blow to the enemy she was presently fighting, and after a satisfying crunch and a wet gurgle of blood, the massive demon fell dead at her feet. Finally lifting her head to look around, Buffy looked at the battle field, and was thankful for the lack of light in the sky. The moon was partially visible, and the few flames still consuming the city cast an eerily glow over the scene, making the pooled blood on the ground reflect the dancing light, perfectly framing the picture of destruction.

Buffy chuckled and let her aching muscles rest as she saw the enemy retreat into the darkness. She knew the war was far from over, but she also knew they had managed to win the immediate battle. More growls and screams followed, but in the following minutes, only the tired slayers, soldiers and watchers remained on the field.

A very wet and dirty Faith approached Buffy and practically tackled her to the ground. Both slayers landed on a puddle of blood and rested on each other's arms.

"We made it." Faith exhaled, and Buffy noted the tiredness on the other slayer's voice.

"Barely." Buffy sighed. "We took heavy losses, didn't we?"

"That we did." Faith mumbled. "And we're lying in a puddle of demon blood."

"It's also slayer and human blood." Buffy said. "We were equals in it."

"We kicked ass."

"Not to rain on your parade, but it was too easy."

Faith lifted her head and laid heavy eyes on Buffy's own.

"Are you fucking high?" Faith shrieked. "That was easy?"

"Yes." Buffy deadpanned. "You know it as well as I do."

"Don't tell that to the troops." Riley said, approaching the exhausted slayers lying on the ground. "You'll kill their spirit."

"How many?" Buffy asked. Riley looked around and took out a small palm out of a pocket.

"Have them all checked." Riley said, pressing some things on the digital screen. "They all have chips on their heads, like the ones we used to implant on hostiles."

Buffy heard his words, but immediately shut the name that immediately came to her head.

"We took seriously heavy losses." Riley said. "Shit. I'll have to call in the reserves."

"You still have more soldiers around?" Faith asked. "And you didn't bring them to the battle?"

"I had my reasons." Riley said and fell to his knees. It was then when both slayers noticed his various injuries. "Had most of the medics and other essential personnel camp out. Couldn't risk getting the doctors killed, could I?"

"No." Buffy exhaled. "You should bring them in now. Asap."

"Already on it." Riley replied before landing face first into another puddle of blood. Faith chuckled and pulled him, turning him on his side so he wouldn't drown.

"Agh. Thanks." Riley muttered. "God, that was awful."

"Welcome to my life." Buffy groaned. "Someone should go see where the demons headed. And I guess I should go see where my daughter is."

"Finally." Faith groaned as well.

"Hey, if I can feel how slayers are, I sure can feel how my daughter is." Buffy said as she slowly and painfully rose to her feet. "She's alive, and right now I feel too bruised to run to her side. I have come to accept she can take care of herself."

Faith and Riley chuckled and Buffy staggered towards her daughter, who she could see now standing atop a small mountain of piled bodies, looking east and paler than usual.

Buffy felt something tug at her stomach but erased the feeling from her mind and body. They had survived a gruesome battle and guessed had earned some time to rest.

But the look on her daughter's face was telling her otherwise. Drawing energy from somewhere deep inside, she forced her burning legs to move forward and ran towards her daughter. With every step she took, she saw more people gather around the small mountain in which Annie stood, but no one could step to stand next to the girl, several turok hans guarding the perimeter.

"Annie." She found herself calling for her daughter. The girl looked just as she guessed she herself looked, soaked with water and blood and guts, and yet the girl didn't look traumatized.

The girl looked scared.

"Annie!" More insistent, but still no one turned to see the slayer or acknowledge her efforts to reach her daughter, standing like a leader in the spotlight, looking at something the others found mesmerizing as well.

Thunders and lighting shook and shone in the night, and Buffy covered her ears, too sensitive over the recent overload to her senses, and rushed again towards her daughter.

Pushing the turok hans aside, Buffy climbed with great difficulty towards her daughter, not taking her eyes off her shaking daughter.

The rain picked up, and the falling drops of water helped wash away the ugly stains of demon guts from their faces, bodies and clothes, and all was forgotten in the slayer's mind except the need to know what was scaring her daughter.

"Annie." Buffy whispered as she caressed the side of her daughter's face. Buffy noticed blood flowing from her lip, a bruise on one cheek bone and the damned scar on her eyebrow opened again.

"What is it, baby?" Buffy asked, and shook when she saw the hurt and pain in her daughter's eyes when Annie turned to look at her. The blonde girl lifted her right arm, her hand wielding her sword pointing forward.

Buffy followed the arm, the hand, the sword and once again looked into the fateful east.

Thunder and lightning struck again, and as night became day for mere instants, Buffy saw what Annie and the others saw.

Flash.

The enemy running away, limping and falling.

Flash.

The distant shadow becoming something other than just darkness and dirt.

Flash.

The demons joining others, others who had merely waited in the distance.

Flash.

Buffy turned away and felt the need to throw up. The army that had been shown to her was there. Standing a hundred yards away, waiting for the chance to show up and destroy the remains of the city and every one and every thing in it.

Another flash of light, and Buffy shared the sight with the others, the image of more than ten thousand demons waiting impatiently behind their leaders.

Another flash and Buffy identified the two figures standing several yards ahead of the deadly army.

Another flash and Buffy clearly saw Drusilla and Angelus standing side to side, holding weapons in their hands.

Another flash, thunder, and Buffy and her heroes saw the leaders of the army of darkness charge towards them.

Another flash, and the good guys saw an army of thousands roar and charge towards them.

Buffy looked franticly around, not knowing what to do. Not sure of what she could do. Angelus had joined Drusilla and was the leader of an army bent on destroying them. She felt tears tickling her eyes and she let them fall. She looked around and saw her injured and tired soldiers kneel down to the floor. She didn't know what to do.

How long had they been fighting?

Hours? Days? She couldn't even remember what had happened the last time she had seen the light of day and she guessed she wouldn't see it again. She felt Annie's arms wrap themselves around her waist, and she returned the embrace.

"What are we going to do, mum?" Annie asked, and Buffy heard the pain and tiredness in her daughter's voice and feared she had given up. She once again looked around and saw the same looks in the others' eyes.

Buffy thought about giving up for one second. For one entire second, she thought about quitting again and letting the warm embrace of death to claim her. She remembered the peace she'd felt when being in heaven and thought that maybe it was the best option at the moment.

But she then saw her daughter, and realized the girl still didn't know how to drive. The girl had never fallen in love and had never danced in a school prom or ridden with the top of a car down.

Annie still had too much to live for, and Buffy had sworn she'd do anything in order to keep her daughter safe.

That, and there were many things she wanted to tell her daughter.

"What did you do to the coat, dear?" Buffy suddenly asked. Annie looked up and frowned.

"I will tell you the story of that coat, honey, and I want you to get it, right now."

"What?" Annie asked, and looked again at the enormous wave of attack coming their way.

"Go get it, honey." Buffy repeated and kissed her daughter's forehead. "I promise we'll be standing here when you get back. Please go."

"I can't believe you're telling me to…"

"That coat has too much history." Buffy continued. "It gave security and strength to those who wore it, dear. I am asking you to leave this battle ground to go for it. I wouldn't ask for it if it wasn't important."

"You just want me to leave." Annie sniffed.

"And I'm asking you to come back." Buffy smiled. "I'm asking you to pick something that helped. I am asking you to get that thing, use it and come back and fight with us. I am trusting in you, Annie. I am asking for your help."

Annie looked into her mother's eyes, and seeing the truth in them, nodded and leaped away, followed instantly by the turok hans faithful to her.

Buffy saw her daughter run away and smiled, knowing she had at least removed her from the site of a bloodbath.

Another thunder brought her back to the moment and she saw the demons a few yards away. Buffy chuckled and lifted her tired arm and pointed her sword forward.

"Are you tired, slayers?" She shouted, hoping her voice could be heard over the rain and thunders. The remaining slayers looked up, and those who weren't too injured to move slowly stood up.

"I asked, are you tired, slayers?" Buffy shouted again. Faith sighed and also stood up on shaky legs. The other slayer picked up her sword and lifted it.

"No." Faith shouted back. "No, we are not tired."

"Are you tired?" Buffy and Faith shouted at the same time. The slayers grinned and lifted their weapons into the air and all shouted 'No' at the same time.

"Then let's show them how a slayer fights!" Buffy shouted, and leapt down from the mountain of bodies and charged the demons with all her remaining strength. Faith immediately followed and soon all the remaining slayers ran behind their generals, ready to fight for their lives.

All of a sudden, a strange light shone to the left of the slayers, and they unconsciously paused to stare at the unearthly light shining on the battlefield. The slayers slowed down, and the enemy did as well, the fighters mesmerized by the spectacle of the heavenly lights.

The leaders of the armies stood still, not knowing why they had to stand and see what the lights meant, and covered their eyes when the luminescence flared and divided.

Four smaller lights appeared and soon took human shapes.

Female shapes.

"Angels." Riley whispered from his spot on the floor.

"Lightbeings." Angelus growled from his spot next to Drusilla, who merely frowned and shook her head.

"Help." A wounded and tired Willow spoke from her spot atop another mountain of debris and bodies, the crossbow in her hand shaking slightly. A disheveled Xander stood next to her, and behind them, a safe but frustrated Giles stared at the same thing they were all looking at now.

The four lights materialized and she saw her once lover stand in the midst of the battle ground. Joyce, Cordelia, Anya and Tara stood in the blood soaked ground, looking at the ground.

Joyce turned around and locked eyes with her daughter.

Even though they were several yards away, Buffy heard her mother's voice clearly.

"We're here to help, honey."

Buffy sighed, and looked at the army standing in front of her.

"A bit late, mom." Buffy chuckled.

"It's never too late." Tara offered. "We did bring help."

The light around them shone brighter for an instant, and from behind them, the help they had promised stepped forward.

Buffy's eyes grew large and she once again pondered the passage of time.

"You are not alone, dear." Joyce said.

"You are never alone." A woman standing next to the angel said. "Slayers stand together."

Help had arrived, in the form of eight hundred slayers brought to the battle field by four angels.

End of Chapter


	57. First Light

**Chapter 56**

**First Light**

**A/N: **Chapter fifty sixth of the series.

I know how important anonymity can be to people. I am one of those, after all. Pen names and nicknames are used for a reason.

I apologize if I have done anything or everything to compromise that privacy in those kind enough to take some of their time to let me know what they think or feel when reading the ramblings of an insane man.

From now on, you'll know your words are still thoroughly appreciated, even if I don't post it on writing.

Thank you very much, you all know who you are.

**Disclaimer: **All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback: **Sure, as you wish.

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Outskirts of London, England

December 2017

The battle was harsh and decidedly uncivil.

Slayers fought with the ferocity of lionesses but they were severely out numbered. Even though they could take on many foes at once, the numbers were against them. They fought with all they had, but it was just a matter of time until the tide turned against them.

Still, their faith was renewed once they knew they had angels on their side.

The appearance of the four lightbeings had lifted up their spirit and had managed to repel the first wave of attack of the enormous army.

A few moments of peace were won when the demons had retreated, their momentum stopped as hard as the ocean against rocks.

But water eroded stone, and the slayers knew it, for they were a single, solid rock against an ocean of enemies.

"Reporting, sir." A soldier appeared next to Commander Finn, too weak to move due to the heavy blood loss, but still standing at an advanced position on the battlefield.

Riley nodded, not wanting to spend energy talking too much.

"We sustained heavy losses on squad 4, 7, 45 and 101. Still, 54 is giving them hell, sir." The soldier said. "Our medics are doing the best they can, sir, but they are burning fast."

"Fubar." Riley muttered.

"Fubar, sir." The soldier nodded. "We still have enough ammo, but it's doing nothing to some of the armored demons."

"Slayers?"

"Already reported to Mrs. Summers." The soldier replied. "They have also lost many of them. The unofficial count is 134 KIA, 106 injured that won't be able to return, and sixty two other slightly injured. That totals as 302 slayers that won't stand next to us in the following attack."

"How many?"

"Counting what remains of us, plus the slayers plus all the help civilians have offered, we are 992 fully functional operatives, sir."

"The enemy?"

"A rough estimate were of over ten thousand at the beginning, sir. After the battle, we have seen over three thousand of them fall." The soldier proudly said. "I must say, sir, maybe we will be able to get out of this."

Riley nodded, and the soldier saluted and walked away.

"Fortunately the rain stopped." A limping Buffy approached him. Riley tried to smile and nodded again. Next to Buffy walked Willow, Xander, Giles and that other slayer whose name he couldn't remember.

"Plus, Wesley seems to be making quite a good work with the dragons." Giles said. "We couldn't have survived so long if the dragons had entered the fight."

"What is he doing?" Willow wondered. "We haven't seen or heard from them in a while."

"We shouldn't relax so easily." Buffy said as she unceremoniously dropped herself on the wet floor. "God, I feel like I've been fighting for days."

"You practically have."

The light blinded them again and a smile adorned their faces when the angels appeared again in front of them. Buffy leaped from the floor and hugged her mother. Willow and Xander hugged their once significant others and Cordelia and Faith merely looked awkwardly at each other.

"It's so good to see you." Buffy said as she hung to her mother.

"Oh dear, I wish it could have been under better circumstances." Joyce said and kissed her daughter's forehead.

"Bollocks." Buffy replied. "You four brought us help. Who did you have to bribe to manage to help us?"

Tara chuckled.

"It's not cheating if we merely…, assisted them on getting here faster." The once witch said. Willow beamed and held her again.

"Not to be always the bearer of bad news." Anya said, Xander's arms draped around her waist. "But we didn't come to socialize."

Buffy looked at her mother and sighed.

"What is it now?"

"What we just did?" Joyce asked. "That, my dear, is all the help you'll receive from the Powers."

"What?" Buffy and all her friends asked.

"We told you before, Buffy." Cordelia stepped forward. "You knew what you were walking into. The Powers let us warn you, even offer you a way out, but you declined and decided to fight. We had to pull many strings and call in several favors to manage to get the slayers here in time."

"If we hadn't, you would be grinded meat on the ground by now." Anya stated, still the master of pointing to the obvious.

"Swell." Buffy huffed. "It's not like we were expecting something else."

"Oh, but it sure would have been welcome." Xander muttered.

"It's even worse." Joyce continued. "Seems that the Powers have now agreed with the Partners. But Balance again has been tipped off, thanks to the arrival of a new player."

"Angelus." Buffy snapped.

"Yes, honey." Joyce sighed. "You know the outcome of this battle. Balance won't be restored until only one slayer stands alive. This battle was to take out all of you but one. However, the presence of Angelus has disturbed every plan or possible results. Angelus will kill all of you. Now that he stands next to the leader of the army…"

"The leader?" Cordelia softly asked.

"Not now, Cordy." Joyce said. "You saw that army, honey. You know what they can do."

"I know." Buffy replied. "But we can take them. We know it. We have managed to throw them back twice now. Let them come again. Once we win, we'll find a way to restore Balance."

The four angels looked at each other and seemed to glow for a few moments. The humans standing next to them would remember forever the sight of four angels talking to each other.

"We have to tell them." Cordelia finally spoke. Joyce looked away. Tara and Anya nodded and softly touched Joyce's hands.

"Please. They need to know." Tara softly said.

Joyce Summers remained in silence for tense moments, and Buffy once again felt numbness settle in the pit of her stomach.

"There's more." Joyce finally spoke. "Buffy, there's no way you can win this. No way."

"Sure there is." Buffy crossed her arms. "You've seen it. We can fight, and we can win."

"No, dear." Joyce shook her head. "You can't. Not now. Not this battle."

"Want to tell that to them?" Buffy asked and pointed at every tired warrior standing or sitting in the ground. She pointed at all the injured heroes who'd fought hard and were standing next to her in battle.

To every slayer and human who worked together, hand in hand to ensure their victory.

"Understand!" Joyce harshly said, and an unnatural glow appeared on her. "You want me to tell them all? Fine!"

Joyce and the angels shone again and suddenly, every slayer and human on the battle ground heard the words of the angels on their heads.

"You wanted me to tell this to them all? Very well. They will hear me." Joyce said, and her voice sounded so different Buffy felt the need to cover her ears.

"This is because of arrogance!" Joyce began. "Because of the human need to control everything! There is a Balance and Balance must be respected. A different alternative from war was offered, and you decided not to take it. Arrogance again! You chose a battle that took several lives and will take several more. Listen to me, slayers! Hear my voice and know that your very existence is the reason of this war!"

Joyce turned her eyes and they seemed to touch everyone on the battle field.

"We are trying to help you, but know that you can't win this. Even with your power and strength, you won't win this. The army standing in front of you won't stop. And even if you manage to stop them, there are more threats coming this way. This won't stop until all slayers are wiped out of existence. There was only one, and there should only be one!"

Buffy cringed but stood straight, her eyes shining with defiance.

"You've spoken, mom." She softly said. "But you saw what happened. You saw these warriors fight and win a battle. Perhaps the war isn't over, but we've managed to live through it so far. We will…"

"You will all die." Joyce sighed as the glow disappeared and she lowered her head. "I know that will happen. It is the only hope this world has. There can only be one. I wish it could be you, honey, but now, maybe there won't even be one."

"Because of Angelus?" Buffy asked, feeling anger bubbling inside.

"If that's so, then why did you bring those other slayers here? To get them killed?" Buffy asked, her temper dangerously close to explode.

"No, honey, we brought them here to help you make the right decision." Joyce said. "Do it now, honey, take their power away."

She looked at Willow and the witch shied away.

"It's the only way you'll survive." Joyce continued. "Do it now, and you'll only have to face Angelus and Drusilla. With these soldiers at your side, you'll be able to take him down."

"No, mother." Buffy huffed. "We won't. We will win this battle. You'll see. Even if I have to take my husband down, we will win."

Joyce couldn't control her hand and her eyes grew large when she realized it had been her hand that had slapped Buffy's cheek.

"Fine, what was that for?" Buffy asked, not bothering to rub her red cheek.

"For being so stubborn." Joyce said. She looked at the other angels and sighed.

"I didn't want to tell you this." The angel said. "I didn't want it to get to this. But you are so stubborn, honey. So arrogant. Maybe it's because you have never lost a battle before."

"And that is bad?" Buffy said, feeling tears again in her eyes. "Is it so wrong? I believe in me and my slayers. I believe we can get out of this. We have always found a way."

"Now you can't." Joyce bluntly said. "You can't because you have existence itself working against you. There is no way out of this, honey, except for all of you dying."

"You seem to be so sure that we'll be wiped out, mother." Buffy scoffed. "Try having a bit of faith in us, could you?"

"It's not about faith, honey." Joyce said, and then turned at the slayer. "No offense, Faith."

"None taken." Faith grumbled.

Joyce shook her head and ran her hands through her hair.

"Giles?" She said. The old man's head shot up and he nodded.

"What is it?"

"Could you explain Buffy what the term 'scorched earth' means?" Joyce asked. Riley's ears perked up and he struggled to get up.  
"You can't be serious." Riley coughed. Two soldiers immediately rushed to help their commander. "Tell us you're not thinking about that."

"What? What is it?" Buffy asked.

"Maybe someone from the military could explain it better." Giles muttered, not understanding what Joyce was talking about.

Riley nodded and sat down, helped by his men. He took deep breaths before beginning.

"It's a military tactic." He began. "Scorched earth policy. It involves destroying anything that could be useful to the enemy when advancing or retreating from the battlefield."

A coughing fit attacked Riley and it took him several deep breaths before managing to recover.

"It has been used successfully ever since the 1400's, the Napoleonic Wars, and more recently at the turn of the century." Riley finally continued. "It implies the destruction of everything usable."

Every one turned again to look at Joyce, who had a sad look in her face.

"You never asked me why this battle was so important, honey." Joyce said. "The lack of Balance implies a lot of things, but the worse outcome could be the Senior Partners setting a new, more powerful version of the Wolf, the Ram and the Hart."

"What?"

"Humanity has taken a turn for the worse, and the existence of slayer aided in this." Joyce continued. "It has been a win-win situation for the Partners, and the powers hoped the slayers could be wiped out easily."

"What?"

"Let me finish, honey." Joyce sighed. "I couldn't tell you everything, and neither could the girls. We are sworn to silence, and we had to let things happen."

"I seriously am not liking what you are telling me." Buffy said, her hands clenching and unclenching at her sides.

"Listen and don't talk." Joyce commanded. "If you had taken away their powers, Balance would have slowly returned to its equilibrium and the partners wouldn't have taken more interest. Your choice of fighting a war has gotten them excited about this plane of existence again. The destruction of the city has opened the window of opportunity needed for them to plant their seed into this plane again. The return of Angelus has tipped the scale again against us, and your need to survive and your foolishness and stubborn streak to remain in battle has forced the hand."

"What hand?"

Joyce grimaced.

"To initiate scorched earth, honey." Joyce said. "Slayers have to go, dear. But something else must be done in order to ensure the Partners lose interest in this plane."

"Really, and I'm supposed to be scared by it?" Buffy growled. "Seems you don't know me so well, mother. I will fight these army, and I will fight your scrunched earth thing, and we will fight anyone or anything that stands in our way. And you know what? We will win."

"No, dear, you won't." Joyce said. "The battle will be renewed, and the true enemy will appear."

"What true enemy?"

Joyce took Buffy's face between her hands and looked deep into her daughter's eyes.

"The one you never defeated." The angel said.

"Your real enemy is Spike."

End of Chapter

**A/N2:** No surprises here.


	58. Nemesis

**Chapter 57**

**Nemesis**

**A/N: **Chapter fifty seventh of the series. You've asked where and what Spike will do. This chapter reveals it all.

**Disclaimer: **All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback: **Sure, as you wish.

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Outskirts of London, England

December 2017

"You're kidding me." Buffy said as she jerked her face away from her mother's touch.

"I am not, darling." Joyce said. The other angels didn't look into Buffy's eyes, but nodded as well.

"You can't be serious." Buffy said. "All he's done is kill a slayer. He hasn't reappeared again. He's not part of this."

"He is a part of this, dear." Joyce continued. "Even if you don't want him to. He has his orders now, hon. Since the army has tried twice and has not been able to take the slayers out, he'll do it himself."

"Even Spike can't handle an army of slayers." Willow offered. "He can't do it alone."

"Oh, dear, he won't be alone." Joyce sadly said. "That army back there? Drusilla is their leader, but it was Spike who gathered and trained them."

Gasps of disbelief rang through those closer to the angels. Questions of 'who is the spike?' and 'what the fuck is she talking about?' were heard all over their temporary base.

"No." Buffy said, crossing her arms. "I can't believe you. I won't believe you. When Spike…, died, he was one of the good guys."

"Really?" Tara asked, and bore deep holes with her eyes on the slayer's skull. "When was he one of the good guys? When you were all repulsed by him?"

"Not now, Tara." Buffy growled, grinding her teeth.

"Enough, Tara." Joyce said. "You too, Buffy. Right now, I don't know how you managed to survive so long."

Buffy felt hurt because of her mother's words, but she kept her face up and stood even straighter.

"Spike will come for you." Joyce continued. "And he won't stop. You may stop the others, but I know you won't stop him. He will do what he is asked to do, and then he'll make the partners fade from this reality."

"And how will Super Spike do it?" Buffy asked.

"He will kill all of you." Joyce snapped. "He will murder all of you but one, and I fear you will be one of the casualties, dear. He then will cut a swath through this entire planet. He'll wipe out half of humanity in order to ensure the partners won't find this world appealing to their plans."

Silence spread through the entire camp, and Joyce regretted the harsh way she had been forced to reveal the consequences.

"You're lying." Buffy suddenly said. "Spike wouldn't do that. He…"

"She's right." Cordelia interrupted. "It is what he does. It is what he has been doing for…, ages."

"That can't be." Buffy shook her head again. "Spike died. I… I saw him turn to dust…, he…"

"He went to hell." Cordelia continued. "You and I know how. There's no need to tell more. He went there because he was a murderer."

"But there was potential." Tara picked up the story. "Potential I saw when he was still with us. Potential clearly visible when he stood by us that awful summer. Potential noted every time he was with Dawn."

Somewhere in the back, Dawn Summers heard and felt more pangs of regret for the way she had acted when she first heard what Spike had done. They had parted ways as friends, but she had been disappointed in him. She had wanted to make amends, but it seemed they wouldn't be able to do a thing.

"You can't be serious." Buffy shook her head. "I can't believe it. I won't believe it until I see it." She turned to look at her mother and smirked.

"You say I never defeated him. Well, he never bested me either."

"Honey, this arrogance will be your undoing." Joyce sighed. "Looks like you have made your mind. It's your choice, now. Do what you want, dear, as you always have."

The angel looked at the other lightbeings and they began to glow.

"We have to go now, my dear." Joyce sadly said. "Spike is on his way, and you'll see how I wasn't lying."

The light shone even brighter and Buffy knew they were about to leave.

"He will also kill Angelus." Joyce said, before disappearing.

Buffy stood in place, too shocked and angry still to fully comprehend the extent of the news delivered.

"She made it sound as if it was our fault." Willow whispered. Next to her, Faith began biting her nails.

"Maybe we… were too arrogant, like she said." Faith replied. "The slayers were needed to end the threat of the hell mouth and then the war against Wolfram & Hart. After that…"

"What are you saying?"

"Maybe we were too pretentious." Faith continued. "What she said. God. It seems we could have avoided this."

"I don't believe it."

"I mean, we could." Faith continued. "Look around, Buffy. London is gone! Poof! And slayers have died in battle! They are still dying. And your mother, an angel, just told us we can't win."

"She must be wrong!" Buffy shouted. "We can't give up now, can we? We've come this far!"

"Then maybe it's time to stop." Giles said, trying to think clearly about what they had just heard. "Four angels appeared and gave us warning, Buffy. We believed them the first time, why shouldn't we believe them now?"

"Because they're telling us to quit!" Buffy shot back. "What sick game were they playing at? They warned us against a war, and now they want us to quit and surrender?"

"We didn't have the threat of Angelus back then." Dawn offered. "Mom did make an interesting point."

"Right. That. And then she told us Spike would take us down and would erase half of the planet." Buffy said, arms crossed. "Spike might have been an excellent fighter, but even he alone couldn't take on an army of slayers."

"We know that, Buffy." Giles said. "But I also don't think your mother would come merely to frighten us. They may have their own agenda and may have played us, but she has not lied to us. If she says Spike is a threat, then we must deal with him as a threat."

"Uh, don't want to freak out, but where is Annie?"

Everyone turned to look at Dawn after she posted her question, and then back at Buffy.

"I asked her to leave." Buffy replied. "Had to get her out of here. Didn't know what was going to happen."

"What?" Giles asked. "What did you do? Where did you send her?"

"I sent her home." Buffy answered. "Far enough from the epicenter, but close enough to reach her should something happen."

"I thought it was best if we kept her on sight." Willow stated.

"It was when we didn't know where Angelus was." Buffy countered. "Now I know where he is. He is waiting for his chance. If what mom said is true, then he won't like being second to Drusilla and even less to Spike. He is now the third wheel, and that may give us some advantage."

"A pissed off Angelus is an off balance Angelus?" Faith asked, feeling a weak grin appear on her face.

"Exactly." Buffy smiled back. "And even if he tries to go after Annie, he'd have to go through several pissed off primitive vampires, or Annie will remain inside our house, where he won't be able to get inside."

"Seems you thought of everything." Giles said, his eyebrows raised at the quick thinking of his daughter.

"Actually, no." Buffy grinned. "I just wanted her to get away from here. Like the angels said, if reinforcements hadn't arrived, we'd be a pile of grinded meat on the battle ground."

"What did you tell her to make her go?" Dawn asked, feeling something was off.

"It doesn't matter, does it?" Buffy replied. "She's safe, or as safe as she can be once she gets home."

"Are you sure?" Dawn asked. "She is a Summers' girl, after all, and her genes aren't too bright on her father's side."

"She's right." Xander spoke again. " Not on the father's side thing, but the Summers thing. Whatever you told her to do, she'll be back in no time."

"Then we have to make good use of that time." Buffy said. "And I resent all that talking about her genes. She has good genes."

"More than you think."

Buffy yelped and struck without thinking. Had Cordelia been fully materialized, Buffy's hand would have smashed against the brunette's throat.

"Holy mother of…! Don't scare me like that!" Buffy panted.

"I can see you're not too happy to see me." Cordelia said, sensing the looks and emotions surrounding her. "But I thought it was better if I talked to you right now."

"What do you have to tell us?" Buffy asked. Cordelia looked straight into her eyes and without warning, her arm shot up and her hand wrapped around Buffy's forehead.

"What the…!"

Blinding light shone behind Buffy's eyelids, and she felt the sensations of disembodiment she'd felt fourteen years ago.

--------------------

When Buffy opened her eyes, she found herself still in the battle field. Looking around, she noticed she was in the same place, but not in the same time.

"Oh, great." She sighed. "You've taken me for another tour through time?"

"No." Cordelia replied, stepping into Buffy's field of sight. "No tour. Just wanted to talk to you. Don't want anyone else to hear what I have to say to you."

"And what do you want to tell me?" Buffy asked, feeling too tired to deal with higher games.

"Angel is not Annie's father."

"Excuse me?" Buffy's eyes grew as large as plates. "What did you just say?"

"Angel is not Annie's father." Cordelia repeated. "He's been shooting blanks for centuries, now."

"Oh, and Connor is what? A collective hallucination?"

"No. That boy is a miracle." Cordelia smiled.

"He's not a boy."

"To me, he will always be a boy."

Buffy remained in silence, trying to digest what Cordelia was trying to tell her.

"You have seen the signs." The angel continued. "They were clear. You thought about it sometimes."

"Even if I have." Buffy whispered. "Annie is Angel's daughter. In every sense. A girl keeps count of some things, you know, and I haven't slept with anyone else besides Angel for the past fifteen years, so I'd appreciate it if you don't come here doubting my daughter's origins."

"Annie is… special, for the lack of a better word." Cordelia explained. "Much as Connor is. They are both walking miracles. By natural means, neither of them could have been born. But they are."

"It was Angel's fate."

"No, Buffy." Cordelia shook her head. "Angel got his redemption through Connor. The Shanshu prophecy? It wasn't meant for him to become human. It didn't mean he'd get a second chance himself. You know the circumstances following his humanity. His second chance was through his very human son."

"Connor isn't entirely normal, in case you haven't noticed." Buffy said.

"No, he isn't. But he is human. He eats, he breathes, he ages. He walks and thinks like a human." Cordelia explained. "Much like you and Annie do."

"She is his daughter." Buffy repeated.

"Have you seen her eyes, Buffy?" Cordelia asked. "Have you seen the way she walks? God, that girl doesn't walk like a lady. The things she likes? Don't tell me you read too much, Buffy. Or Angel for that matter."

"Angel reads."

"Don't rationalize everything, Buffy." Cordelia sighed. "You must have seen it yourself. I saw that girl in the battlefield, Buffy, as I'm sure you did."

"I was busy fighting…"

"Don't give me that bullshit." Cordelia snapped. "You had one eye on the battle and another one on her. You saw her face. You saw how she fought. Want to tell me that girl didn't enjoy the thrill of the fight?"

"She is my daughter." Buffy countered. "You know how…"

"How much you love the fight itself?" Cordelia asked. "How Angel preferred to fight instead of torturing people for ages and talk and… wait, that's not right, is it?"

"What do you want me to tell you?" Buffy growled, her eyes cold as ice. "I've seen the signs, Cordelia. I have been forced to watch every day of her young life how she resembles the wrong man. I have seen her eyes, the shape of her face, and the things she loves. She is smarter than I am and she'd rather stay at home and read a book instead of going out to play. But she also has a wild side that reminds me too much of him. And I feel too much like an cheating wife when I see him in my daughter, but I can tell you, I swear to you that Angel is her father."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because Annie was born a year after the last time I slept with Spike, all right?" Buffy snapped again. "Because last I heard, human babies are born after nine months of conception, Cordelia, not a year and a half later!"

Cordelia smiled and nodded.

"I know, Buffy. I know. That's why I wanted to have this conversation alone with you." The angel smiled and shone again. Buffy had to cover her eyes and when she opened them she was standing once again in the attic of her house.

Buffy looked around and had to suppress the feeling of comfort the appearance of Cordelia gave her.

"What are we doing…?"

"Shh."

Buffy closed her mouth and noticed the trap door opening close to her. She took a few steps back, even though she knew she couldn't be seen or heard when she was in Cordelia's pocket dimensions.

Her daughter appeared through the door, still dripping wet and her clothes soaked in blood. The girl rushed to the discarded white box tossed carelessly to one corner of the attic. Annie quickly retrieved the box and pulled out its contents, the rugged, old leather coat once worn by notorious warriors.

"She listened to me." Buffy whispered. Cordelia only nodded. They both watched how Annie carefully placed the coat on and caught a glimpse of herself on the mirror.

Buffy looked away from the image standing in front of them.

Annie ran and jumped down the open trap door on the floor.

Cordelia looked at her and smiled.

"You see, don't you?" The angel said. "You see how much she resembles him. She looks like the perfect mix between you and him."

"I know." Buffy said, smiling for the first time when confronted with her daughter's likeness to Spike. "I see it in her eyes sometimes. The way she looks at things or people. I was talking about that with Dawn. And to top it all? She had to grow up in London. I don't know why she's got that awful accent. She goes to an excellent school and she sometimes talks like, what was the word Giles used? Like a yobo, whatever the hell that might be."

Cordelia smiled.

"I told you so." The angel said. "She's her father's daughter."

"How can that be?" Buffy asked.

"Do you believe me?"

The slayer stood in silence for a few minutes, her mind's eye picturing her daughter's face.

"Let's say I do." Buffy finally said. "What happened?"

"Very good." Cordelia smiled, and shone again.

"Stand still, Buffy. You'll see and hear how Spike fathered your child."

End of Chapter


	59. Daddy's Girl

**Chapter 58**

**Daddy's Girl**

**A/N: **Chapter fifty eighth of the series. It was no secret and no surprise, I gather, but here I explain how it happened.

**Disclaimer: **All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback: **Sure, as you wish.

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Else when

Elsewhere

"We've been speaking so much about Balance lately," Cordelia began, "and I guess we should part from there."

Buffy nodded, still too freaked out by being floating in a blank space. She wondered if this was the place where Cordelia and the angels inhabited.

"You know Spike's career was… less than stellar." Cordelia continued. "He attracted a lot of unwanted attention. But even at the height of his cruelty, he was nowhere near as sadistic or brutal as his three companions. He slowly but steadily built a reputation on the higher plane as the lesser of four evils. Literally."

Cordelia chuckled and continued.

"Drusilla and he were by far the most, uh, normal ones. They retained most of their human feelings, and several discussions have been formed regarding the source of their rather uniqueness. It is somehow accepted that due to Drusilla's own abilities before turned, she managed to retain some sort of conscience. A form of differentiating right from wrong."

"Wow, now that is very weird." Buffy said.

"Yes it is, very, very strange." Cordelia stated. "So there they are. Two insanely powerful vampires with megalomaniac tendencies and two lovelorn vampires who never reveled in torture or long lasting plans. We believe that to some extent, those two had some sort of soul guiding them."

"Huh?"

"Let me continue. You know how years later a blue skinned demon commonly referred to as The Judge scorned them because he thought they were still too human. Drusilla, in her own sick and twisted manner loved Spike, and you and I know he loved her back. Point is, Spike was never as truly evil as he wanted everyone else to think, and as of today, I guess you'll agree with me on that."

Buffy only nodded.

"So there he is. A vampire with some sort of moral compass, once again displayed when he helped you stop the world from ending when Angelus pulled his Acathla incident. He later on helped you against Glory and helped save the world again. Then he moped and ached and cried and suffered when you died, and let me tell you, all of these events were supervised by some form of other worldly watchers and the rumor of a vampire in love with the slayer became gossip in the netherworld."

Cordelia sighed and tried to focus, not wanting to delve into things the slayer already knew.

"And there we have him, following the right path, not because of a silicone chip on his brain, but because of your influence and Dawn's own innocence. Then came that period in your life we've discussed and he fell into the desperation that led him to try and make you happy with a half assed plan."

Buffy chuckled again and shook her head.

"You and I saw him turn to dust." Cordelia softly said. "I carried his ashes with me and we later on buried them on the Pantheon. We mourned for him and knew he'd been a hero. A weird one, but a hero nevertheless. Then you closed the deal."

"I what?"

"When you tried to find him. When you researched for ways to bring him back. When you displayed a bit of emotion towards the vampire that loved you."

"That was…"

"I know." Cordelia nodded. "But it fell perfectly into plans schemed even before Darla was turned into a vampire. Schemes that would culminate with the birth of those who would bring peace to the world. Those who would be the best of both worlds."

Something finally clicked on Buffy's face and she paled visibly.

"Connor." The slayer muttered.

"The Shanshu prophecy." Cordelia nodded. "The vampire with a soul. From what I just told you, you must have realized now that there were several vampires with some sort of a soul. Angelus was cursed with one. When Darla got pregnant, she shared one with Connor. Spike and Dru had some sort of soul, so…"

"My God." Buffy covered her mouth. "What you're telling…"

"Connor is the result of the Shanshu prophecy, Buffy." Cordelia stated. "But Annie is as well. She was to be born, but her parents were supposed to be Spike and Drusilla."

Buffy covered her mouth, not believing what she was hearing.

"But several things diverged from the original plan." Cordelia resumed talking. "Whistler interfered, and his actions caused Angel to fall in love with you, and Connor's birth was delayed. The subsequent loss of Angel's soul and Spike's choices. Angel leaving. Spike falling in love with you and choosing you over Drusilla. That sent Annie's birth into limbo. And finally, Spike's choice left the world without another vampire with some sort of soul. Angel alive, and Spike gone, that left Drusilla, and we all know babies can't be made with girl on girl action, right?"

Buffy chuckled again.

"Thus, the Powers took action. Seeing how Spike had behaved, and how concerned you had been, they believed it was time for Annie to make an appearance. But Spike was already dead, and bringing him back then was not part of the plan. Putting two and two together, they had the woman the kinda souled vampire loved, and someone who could, uh, initiate the act that has created life since humans took their first breath."

"You're telling me Angel was some sort of… inseminating partner?" Buffy asked, feeling sick.

"Not quite." Cordelia replied with a smile on her face. "But there had to be an actual conception. Miracles don't quite work as we were taught in church, Buffy, there had to be an actual conception. However, the child that was conceived in your womb was equal parts you and equal parts Spike. A life for a life."

"The life Spike gave Angel…"

"Angel gave back." Cordelia nodded. "The girl may love Angel as her father, but the man responsible for her very existence is Spike. He is her father in almost every way, from the way she looks, the way she behaves, those wonderful genes in her, mixed with yours, come up with the impulsive glory that is Annie."

"That explains so much of her." Buffy smiled. "Thought the trouble maker stuff came from me, but now I can blame it all on Spike."

"Please, William never burnt down a gym." Cordelia chuckled. "The trouble magnet thing? That's all you, baby."

"Damn. I was hoping I could pin that on the bad boy thing."

"William was not a bad boy." Cordelia stated. "And if you recall those days you spent together, you surely must have realized Spike wasn't one at all. At least not when he was with you."

"Until he opened his mouth."

"After you opened yours."

Buffy closed her mouth and slowly processed all the information received. Annie was the second of a completely new race, created with the best traits from a vampire and a human, but then again, Connor's parents had been vampires, and Annie's were now a vampire and a slayer. She wondered how that would differentiate Annie from Connor.

"But there's always a price." Cordelia blurted out. "Even though the Powers granted him some sort of redemption through Annie, he still had been a murderer for over a hundred years. He had too much blood on his hands, or mouth or stomach, whatever, and there is only hell for murderers."

"Meaning?"

"Spike is not aware of Annie's existence." Cordelia revealed. "And even if he has seen her somehow in the time he's been in this dimension, he'll identify her as Angel's daughter. He has no idea he is related to her somehow. He doesn't know she is his redemption."

"You spoke of a price." Buffy reminded her. "I guess you weren't talking about a trophy, right?"

"No, Buffy." Cordelia shook her head. "Spike's penance has lasted for too long. He spent countless centuries in hell, and after that, he became the perfect warrior to be used."

"Used?"

"Spike works now for a higher purpose, Buffy." Cordelia said. "He corrects the mistakes done by rogue higher beings or screw ups by the higher powers. He travels from dimension to dimension, from time to time fixing what went wrong."

"What is this? A missing Quantum Leap episode?"

"What?"

"Never mind. What is he then? Dead? Alive? Undead?"

"He is… complicated." Cordelia stuttered. "He just has what it takes to get the job done."

"So the Senior Partners made him their pawn?" Buffy growled. "After he spent years in hell, he became a delivery boy to them?"

"No, Buffy." Cordelia sighed.

"Then what is he? Their personal assassin? The guy who kills half the earth because the partners feel bored and want an apocalypse?" Buffy practically shrieked. "Their enforcer? God, we should have taken the fight to them, not only erasing Wolfram & Hart's hold on earth."

"Spike doesn't work for the partners, Buffy." Cordelia revealed. "He works for the Powers That Be. He is their assassin."

End of Chapter

**A/N2**: Quantum Leap was an NBC show that aired from '89 to '93. I know Buffy would have been quite young when the show aired, but she might have seen reruns on the Sci-Fi Channel or bought the DVD's.


	60. Crash

Chapter 59 

**Crash**

**A/N: **Chapter fifty ninth of the series.

**Disclaimer: **All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback: **Sure, as you wish.

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Outskirts of London, England

December 2017

Buffy heard the words and all the years of beliefs and morality imparted by Giles and everyone at the Council came crashing down with the power of four words.

He is their assassin.

Spike was the Powers' personal hitman.

"How…?"

But the words didn't come. How could Buffy begin to understand? How could she process the information?

She'd just learnt the Powers were not the ever benevolent beings she'd thought they should be. They ying and yang symbol in her mind blurred and there was no black and white anymore. There wasn't a circle anymore.

All that remained was a big splotch of gray.

"Buffy?" Willow asked, a bit concerned that her friend had not moved in the seconds after Cordelia had removed her hand from Buffy's face.

In turn, Cordelia hugged herself and hated the fact she had only delivered bad news to her friends. And it seemed she'd have to give more, for the war still hadn't ended and many more things were happening.

"Cordy? What happened?" Xander asked, also worried that his friend had not made a sound.

"I think she has some things she'd like to share with you." Cordelia said. "I have to leave now. Please, be careful, and try not to get killed."

Instead of shining out, Cordelia merely disappeared right in front of them all. Shock was suppressed when seeing the face of anguish on Buffy's face.

"Buffy?" Giles cautiously asked again. He was concerned about the woman's sake, but he also knew they were in the middle of open war, and they all needed their leader conscious and well rested, not to mention focused on the fight.

"Buffy?" He ventured again. This time, the slayer's eyes regained their light and she looked at them all.

"Welcome back." Giles said. "What happened?"

"She…" Buffy swallowed, feeling her throat very, very dry. "She confirmed something I had suspected all these years."

"What?"

Buffy turned to look at her friends, and made eye contact with Willow, knowing the witch would get the idea.

'What is it, Buff?' Willow asked directly into the slayer's mind.

'I need you to log Xander, Giles and Faith as well, please.' Buffy asked. Willow nodded and the five of them displayed a very strange picture, remaining in silence but looking at each other.

'What's up, B?'

'Buffy? What is the meaning of this?'

'Whoa, haven't done this in years.'

'Good.' Buffy spoke with her mind. 'Everyone logged in, thanks Will. What I have to tell you I don't want anyone else to hear. I don't want you repeating it or making any sounds or reacting to it, understand?'

Four affirmations were heard on her mind.

'Very well. Cordelia told me Annie isn't Angel's daughter.'

The four of them visibly flinched and Buffy frowned.

'I told you not to react! God, what is it with you guys?'

'Sorry.' They all mumbled.

'Now, please try to remain still. Cordelia just said Annie is the daughter of someone else. I don't want her to know right now, and I will tell her but in my own way and whenever I choose to, understood?'

They all nodded.

'Hey, Buffy?' Willow asked. 'What about Dawn, won't you tell her?'

'She already knew.' Buffy replied. 'Or at least she highly suspected it. She's not as blind or as willing to live in denial as we all are.'

'It's Spike, isn't it?' Willow asked. 'Annie looks so much like him.'

'What? Evil dead is her father?'

'It's a long story.' Buffy replied. 'And I swear I'll tell it to you another time. And yes, Spike is her father.'

'Uh, didn't he disappear, like, a year before?' Willow shyly asked.

'Yeap, but he is the father. It's kinda a miracle.'

"Mrs. Summers?" They all turned around and stared at the soldier standing next to the slayer. "I'm sorry to interrupt, ma'am, but look east."

"Oh, man, not again." Buffy sighed. She logged off and turned to look at where the soldier was pointing, and the sight was surprising enough to draw a smile into her face.

Her friends also looked at the signaled point and their reaction was the polar opposite of Buffy's. A gasp and a sharp intake of breath showed their surprise.

"Is that…?"

"Angelus and Drusilla." Buffy nodded. "Carrying weapons and walking alone. Guess they want a go with me."

"How do you know?" Faith said. "We could charge them and kill them in no time."

"There's no honor in it, is there?" Buffy replied and looked around for her sword.

"Here."

Buffy looked up and saw her sister handing her the weapon she'd been looking for.

"Cleaned it." Dawn said. "Know you don't like to walk into battle with a soiled blade."

Buffy nodded and accepted the weapon.

"What was that all about?" Dawn asked.

"Cordelia giving me news." Buffy replied. "Remember what we talked about at home before this all began?"

"The thing with the coat?"

"Yeah."

"What about it?"

"You were right." Buffy looked into Dawn's big eyes. "You were right."

"God." Dawn whispered. "So Annie…"

"All Spike, yeah." Buffy replied. "She's a miracle, Dawn. Just like you are."

Dawn blushed and looked away.

"Guess he managed to knock you up from above, huh?" The former key chuckled. Buffy rolled her eyes.

"Not now. You'll mock me and my immaculate conception later on."

"Got it." Dawn's face turned serious then. "You gonna fight them alone?"

"Nah. Was thinking of taking someone with me." Buffy answered. "Hey, Faith! Want a quick workout?"

"You know me, B, I'm all for it." Faith chuckled.

"Very well." Buffy smiled. She sought Riley and walked towards him.

"You know what to do." She said. Commander Finn nodded, now too weak to talk. Buffy noticed and concern etched on her face.

"You gonna be ok?" She asked. Riley nodded but held on to her hand. The slayer understood and with a nod of her head she eased Riley's concerns.

She turned around and looked at her troops and once more felt proud of them. They had not yielded in the face of impending doom and had faced whatever had been thrown in their path without backing off or showing fear.

And she couldn't suppress the feeling of guilt for getting them all into such a mess.

"Let's go, Faith." Buffy said. "We've ourselves a couple of vampires to kill."

------------------------

"The slayers are coming." Angelus sneered, staring at Buffy and Faith walking towards them. "This will be so easy."

"Slayers are dangerous." Drusilla replied, testing the balance of her blade. "We should take them seriously."

Angelus turned to stare at his companion, amazed that she had managed to form coherent sentences.

"I shall take on the dark haired one." Drusilla continued, not bothering to acknowledge Angelus' stare. "You take the other."

"But of course." Angelus crossed his arms. "Wouldn't want it any other way. But say, when did you, y'know, recovered your marbles?"

"Don't mock, me Angelus." Drusilla snapped. "This is a war you consciously joined. Now prove your allegiances and slay your former spouse."

Angelus growled and swung a battle axe in his left hand and a small sword on the other, testing their weight.

"I will bring you her head on a platter, I will…"

"You will stop talking." Drusilla snapped. "Long before I was also promised her lifeless body to me, and I asked again years ago. You have failed me, repeatedly. Don't fail this time."

"You know, this normal conversations are seriously freaking me out." Angelus chuckled. "Ok, now, they aren't as young as they used to be, but they have lots of experience. Oh, and Faith fights dirty."

"Their fighting prowess is of no concern to me." Drusilla replied. "Your emotions have always stood in the way when dealing with this particular individuals. The first slayer I faced, I killed her. Spike killed the first slayer he faced. You…"

"Don't talk about it!" Angelus shouted. "I will not fail again!"

Angelus roared and leapt forward, charging Buffy and facing his fate once and for all.

-------------------

"Uh oh." Faith muttered. "He seems serious about it."

"Strange." Buffy replied. "Guess there's no need to call dibs, is it?"

"Nah. I have never fought the crazy vamp." Faith said. "Any advice?"

"You've fought Angelus." Buffy said, getting ready to intercept Angelus. "Don't know where the four of them learnt to fight, but none of them is easy."

"Meaning?"

"Fight her as if you were fighting Angelus." Buffy said before running to fight her once husband.

The swords clashed with a loud ring, the superhuman strength of their wielders almost shattering the steel of both weapons. The impact almost numbed the arms of the fighters, but their instincts forced them to change tactics and reinitiate the attack.

Angelus took a swing at Buffy's legs with his battle ax, but Buffy merely jumped back, putting needed distance between the two of them. Having seen her fight for years, Angelus knew not to advance while the slayer was flipping back.

"Still slender and flexible." Angelus laughed. "God, the things we could do now, without the damn complexes and inadequate feelings."

"Not in your lifetime." Buffy replied once she landed. She quickly stole a glance at her sword and noted no grave damage to the blade.

"Almost broke 'em, huh?" Angelus looked at his own sword. "Looks like the transition from that pansy ass into me made me even stronger. Did you ever ask what happened when a slayer gets turned?"

"Didn't care." Buffy replied, circling her prey. "You are no longer the man I married. You are no longer a man. We are in the middle of war. I can't let you go. Not this time."

"Funny." Angelus sneered. "I was about to say the same thing to you. My lady back there wants your head on a platter. I feel the need to oblige."

"You're free to try."

"Very well." Angelus chuckled. "Let's dance."

"No." Buffy growled. "This thing we're doing? We have never danced."

------------------------

Faith had heard numerous tales about Drusilla The Mad, but she had never faced the dark beauty before. She'd seen engravings and the rare photograph taken instants before the photographer met his or her demise.

But she hadn't expected the emanation of raw power coming from the woman. She had faced Angelus, and all she felt was anxiousness and a healthy amount of fear. Drusilla just… disturbed her.

"Don't think we've met before." Faith said, trying to erase the feeling of discomfort. "My name's Faith. I am the slayer. Well, one of them, anyways."

"Met a couple of you in my time." Drusilla surprisingly answered, and Faith's stomach turned upside down, having heard Dru never made any sense when speaking.

The vampire in front of her surely was making a lot of sense.

"You killed my predecessor. Kendra."

"The dark skinned one." Drusilla nodded. "She died so easily. She was a disappointment."

"Oh, I won't disappoint you, don't worry."

Drusilla picked up her sword and pointed it directly at Faith's throat. The slayer once again felt uneasy and tried to think of a way to attack. She had also heard once to never stare into Drusilla's eyes, but that made it more difficult to fight with swords. If she couldn't look at her opponent's eyes, it was as if she was the one fighting with a blindfold on her head.

"Don't think too much." Drusilla sweetly said. "This won't last long. Or hurt too long."

Faith's stomach went wild, and her heart doubled its beat when Drusilla launched her attack.

End of Chapter


	61. Behind Blue Eyes

Chapter 60 

**Behind Blue Eyes**

**A/N: **Chapter sixty of the series.

**Disclaimer: **All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback: **Sure, as you wish.

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Outskirts of London, England

December 2017

Annie was feeling the effects of exhaustion creeping through her legs.

Even with her strength and stamina, she knew she was reaching her limits, not used to the kind of physical demands the day had exerted out of her.

She wondered how her parents managed to do it once or twice a year.

Looking around, she also noticed a couple of her vampires panting, and the image was so surreal she couldn't suppress the smile appearing on her face.

"Just a bit more, boys." She said, feeling the oxygen burning her lungs with every step taken. "This will soon be over."

The vampires seemed to understand the figure clad in black leather, and closing their mouths, they pushed themselves even harder.

--------------------

Buffy realized something was wrong with everything.

She had been fighting non stop and began considering the fact they had been played like pawns. Every piece of information, every unexpected appearance of angels, every course of action led them to that very moment.

And it was completely incomprehensible how she was managing to think about it when she was fighting against Angelus.

Once before, when he'd been Angel, her impossible love, they had agreed on being practically equals.

Even when fighting against Angelus, she'd managed to keep the odds even considering the vampire had ages of experience and wouldn't hesitate to kill or maim her.

But the creature she was fighting, did not fight like any other incarnation. The style was mixed, aggressive but focused, and the lack of verbal taunting was disturbing as well.

The steel kept jarring, and for the first time, Buffy also noticed Angelus had not morphed into his vampiric visage.

Buffy frowned and somersaulted back, not wanting to let Angelus notice her distraction.

Landing a few feet away, she noticed Angelus didn't try to give chase. Her frown deepened, but she dared not open her mouth, fearing she might give something up. Angelus was a master of picking on weaknesses and exploiting them.

"What's the matter?" Angelus roared, blood dripping from a cut on his cheek. "Thought we were having fun."

Buffy stared at her enemy and tried to focus on what exactly was wrong. She couldn't feel him, but she had been unable to feel any enemy on the entire fight, so that wasn't exactly it.

The fighting style? Well, she hadn't seen too much of Angel lately, she guessed he might have picked up new tricks when she hadn't been watching over him.

"Oh, come on!" Angelus whined. "You used to be so much fun, wifey. You talked and talked and talked and you never fucking closed your mouth!"

Buffy didn't want to, but she cringed anyways.

"And now? You are not even playing right." He wiped the blood off his face and licked it. "I mean, you aren't getting any younger, I know, but you're missing on purpose and have not taken a shot."

"You have failed as well." Buffy finally spoke, trying to gain more time.

"Well, you can't expect me to be on top of my game, I mean, look at me!" Angelus smirked and grabbed the bit of fat gained over the years of eating like a normal human. "All slow and sloppy. I am grateful I can't look at myself in the mirror anymore. I must be a disgrace."

"All worried about your looks?" Buffy smirked back.

"Not at all, wifey." Angelus sneered. "I know I can still get you hot, baby. Look at me. I am the one who's been puttin' it to you these past years. I never heard a complain."

Buffy blushed but tried to remain in control of her emotions.

"Sweet. A bit raw and vulgar, but hey, can't expect anything else from you."

"But I bet you do." Angelus began circling her again. "Bet you look at me and try to see the man you married. You look at me and you turn into that stupid sixteen year old girl who didn't even know how to move in bed. Said it once and will repeat it, you weren't worth a second go."

Buffy struggled to keep every muscle in check.

"I mean, it was really sweet to pop your cherry, but it wasn't as good as I had expected. Dru, now that was a good lay. Darla and her together? Marvelous. You? Ever wondered why I left Sunnydale? Had you been a good lay, I would have stayed behind and risked everything for another trip down behind your legs."

Buffy's blush increased but she dared not look away or close her eyes.

"And I bet you're trying to picture in your mind the perfect man I used to be." Angel twirled around and mimicked her voice. "Oh Angel! Please come and disturb me every night. Come and seep me off my tiny little feet and take me for a spin. Be my dark knight in shining armor and deliver me from evil."

Buffy felt the now common cold shiver in her back. How could he say what was going on in her mind?

Then it clicked. She had never shown him another side of her. She had tried to remain the helpless sixteen year old with him.

Seemed he didn't like her in any other fashion.

The last drops of affection and love she'd felt for the man were crumbling to dust in a bloody battlefield.

"You know, you are right." Buffy said with a sad smile on her face. "But you know something? You just helped me leave that sixteen year old behind. You just killed any affection I might have had for you. You have given me the strength I need to finally put you to rest."

"Aw, come on." Angelus mock sighed. "Don't tell me you won't go running to that delicious red head you call your best friend and beg her to put that annoying piece of soul back in me. Don't tell me you've lost hope."

Buffy didn't reply. She lifted her sword and attacked again.

----------------------

Faith tucked and rolled after being thrown away by Drusilla's powerful slap to her face. The slayer rubbed her face and shook her head trying to focus again on the battle.

The vampire walked slowly and gracefully towards her prey, no sudden movements, almost as if she were dancing.

"Weak, weak, weak." Drusilla said. "Go. You are not the right foe for me."

Drusilla turned away and began walking away. Faith felt hot fury rising inside of her and leaped towards the vampire. Drusilla merely ducked and moved away.

"I told you to leave, slayer." Drusilla growled. "Don't forfeit your life."

For once, Faith listened and began thinking. She had been trying to hit the vampire and she hadn't been able to do so. She remembered Buffy's words and heeded her advice, lowering her weapon.

"Wait!" The slayer called out. "Who is the right foe for you?"

Drusilla laughed and stopped.

"She is coming." Drusilla revealed. "She will soon be here."

Faith did not ask anything else and let the vampire walk away.

------------------------

A right hook found its way over Buffy's defense, and by pure miracle, the slayer's cheekbone was not shattered on impact. Buffy retaliated by slamming Angelus' chest with her palm, sending him sprawling a few feet back.

The slayer ran her tongue over her teeth and gums, checking if no teeth had been dislodged after the brutal punch. Finding nothing other than blood, Buffy grinned and leapt forward, the battle still going on.

Angelus rolled out of the way of Buffy's flying kick, spitting out blood and trying to gain the upper hand. Even if their strength was equal, Buffy's speed had not diminished in the least, and Angelus found himself getting tired. He hadn't been fighting as long as Buffy had been, but the ride back to London, the earlier fight, and his regained senses were taking a toll on him, and it seemed his soon to be ex wife was not giving him a way out.

A rain of punches fell on Angelus, and he only managed to lift his arms and try to block the most damaging impacts. Waiting for the change in Buffy's breath, Angelus leapt forward and slammed his forehead into Buffy's stomach. The air knocked out of her, Buffy doubled instinctively and almost drove her knee into Angelus' mouth. Her foe grunted and tumbled back at the same moment she fell on her butt on the ground. Both fighters coughed and spat out blood, seizing the rare cease fire granted by their exhaustion.

"Got to say, you're in a very good shape." Angelus panted.

"I see you're not getting slow in your old age." Buffy panted back, feeling something aching in her stomach. "You still hit like a hammer."

"Let me recover and you'll make a very good impression of a nail."

"Right. Was that a taunt?" Buffy asked. "Or was it a pun? I mean, I thought Angel was bad with the witty comebacks, but you? You suck."

"Hey, you know what I am, sucking…"

"Is pretty much what you do, I know." Buffy interrupted. "This has been fun, but…"

Buffy couldn't finish her sentence as her hair was violently pulled back, completely taking her off guard, making her unable to stop the savage knee to her neck.

The impact made her feel numb all over half of her body and she almost blacked out, only her strong sense of preservation allowed her to remain conscious.

"Hey, that wasn't fair." Angelus said, as he struggled to stand up. Buffy tried to breath normally, but she felt weird all over and only managed to twitch on the floor like a fish on deck.

"You were losing the battle." Drusilla said as she appeared on Buffy's visual range. "I asked you to bring me her head on a platter. You failed."

"You interrupted our battle." Angelus growled, now fully standing. "I wasn't finished. I was toying with her."

"We don't have time for your games." Drusilla snapped, and her eyes shone golden. "You are in it completely or you are not. I told you this when…"

"I know, I know!" Angelus shouted. "I don't need to be reminded every two seconds!"

"Then do what you promised!" Drusilla shouted back. "You wanted to be what you were before! I gave you that! Now do as I ask and bring me her head!"

Angelus growled and took the sword Drusilla offered. Buffy felt needles stabbing half of her body, meaning feeling was returning, but she realized she wouldn't be able to move in time if Angelus struck.

"Going to hit me while I'm down?" Buffy asked, feeling something wrong with her voice, and wondered if the hit had shattered her eardrum. "Even you are better than that."

"You heard the lady." Angelus said, a sick smile on his face. "And even you must have realized the other slayer failed."

Buffy's eyes grew large as she indeed realized what had happened. If Drusilla was standing there, that meant Faith had been defeated.

"Looks like you're the only one who can't take on slayers." Buffy coughed, not knowing why she felt the need to upset her soon to be executioner.

"I can take on anyone I want." Angelus growled. "But you heard her. We don't have time."

"You always needed someone else to fight your battles." Buffy said, now feeling the enormous pain on her neck and body. She knew she was moments away from regaining her full mobility, and she had to keep Angelus talking. "Guess that's why you sired so many vampires."

Angelus growled and kicked Buffy's head. The impact was almost as hard as Drusilla's kick had been, and this time Buffy did lose consciousness.

"Shit." Angelus ran one hand through his gelled hair. "Guess won't hear her scream at all."

"It's too late." Drusilla suddenly said. Angelus turned around and saw the vampire's eyes lost in space. "It's too late." She repeated.

"Dru, baby, it's not too late. The slayer's head will soon be yours." Angelus replied. When he turned around to stare at his prey, with the corner of his eye he saw the dark haired slayer running towards them.

"That worries you?" Angelus asked. "She's too far away. Look, relax, ok? This slayer will soon be a head shorter."

Angelus lifted the sword, and when he brought it down he could hear two different voices screaming in the periphery.

Faith's scream of outrage, coming in strong even in the distance.

Drusilla's repetition of them being too late.

Angelus sighed and placed all his strength in the swing, his mind taking one last moment to rejoice in his moment of triumph over the slayer.

The impact ended with a loud thump, and Angelus growled when he realized it wasn't exactly the ground what had stopped the lethal swing.

His eyes traveled down and stared at the still living slayer, groaning on the ground, her head still attached to her body.

The sword's edge, perched still an inch or two away from Buffy's neck.

He looked at his arm, but his eyes saw something else.

The reason why he hadn't been able to deliver the killing blow.

A pale hand, gripping tightly his appendage, the strength similar to his own.

When his eyes looked up, they were met by familiar eyes, even though he hadn't seen them in several years.

Brown eyes met blue ones.

A frown met a smirk.

"You don't strike an enemy that's down, Angelus old boy. Even you know that."

Angelus growled when he saw Spike standing right next to him.

End of Chapter


	62. Shock

Chapter 61 

**Shock**

**A/N: **Chapter sixty one of the series.

**Disclaimer: **All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback: **Sure, as you wish.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outskirts of London, England

December 2017

Every fighter or soldier standing on the battlefield had seen how the events had unfolded.

They saw the decidedly difficult battle Faith had been involved. They saw how the vampire had spared the slayer's life.

They saw honor in a soulless creature.

They saw an epic battle between two so called soul mates, and bore silent witness to the struggle visible in the slayer's mind and body.

They saw the treacherous attack delivered by the seemingly honorable vampire.

They saw Faith's mad dash to save the other slayer's life.

But they didn't believe what their eyes were seeing.

Dawn, a slayer's sister, fell to the floor, her mind not believing she'd see again the vampire who'd once being her best and only friend.

A collective shiver ran through the hearts of all the noble warriors in the battle field, as the words of an angel rang true in their ears again.

The real enemy had been revealed.

Spike, William the Bloody, the legendary slayer of slayers had appeared.

And he had stopped Angelus from beheading the slayer.

------------------

"What the fuck is going on in here?" Angelus asked, still not believing what he was seeing. "You are dead! You are fucking dead!"

"Hello to you too, Angelus." Spike smirked, his hand an iron grip on Angelus' leather clad arm. "What do you think you were doing?"

"Well, finishing the job neither of us could manage to do decades ago, so if you'd be so kind as to remove you god damn fucking hand, I'd be able to finish this!"

"Tsk. Temper, temper, old dog." Spike shook his head. "Like I said, you do not strike an opponent when she's down, even if she is a bloody nuisance."

"Remind me again, why am I talking to you?" Angelus growled. "Oh, yeah…"

Angelus' fist slammed against Spike's cheek, but the vampire held on even after the brutal impact.

"Now, that wasn't nice." Spike growled before returning the gesture and using the sudden distraction to sweep Angelus' legs and toss him backwards, turning him away from the semi conscious slayer.

"We play by rules here, Angelus." Spike spat blood to the side. "A fallen enemy isn't fair game."

"I seem to remember you snapping a slayer's neck when she was down." Angelus growled.

"Ah, that happened eons ago, Angelus." Spike growled back. "This is a whole different ball game, and it seems you don't actually know the rules, so shut up and let the grown ups talk."

Spike turned his back on a seething Angelus and walked towards Drusilla, whose eyes took a far away look.

"The bravest and wisest knight returns." Drusilla softly said. "Welcome back, slayer of slayers."

"It's good to see you again, love." Spike said as he caressed the side of Dru's face. "It's been too long, isn't it?"

"Far too long." Drusilla nodded, her face suddenly that of a young woman, no malice in it. "But we have work to do here."

"Excuse me?" Angelus shouted. "Not to be rude, William, but I thing we have it all under control here. You can run off and get killed again."

"You might want to take care of the slayer, Angelus." Spike growled without bothering to look at Angelus.

"The slayer is down, you fucking moron!" Angelus shouted again. "She's drooling the ground!"  
"Not that slayer."

Without warning, Faith landed a vicious punch to Angelus' kidney, making him scream and feel blood on his mouth. He retaliated by swinging his sword around, hoping to catch something other than air. Faith ducked in time but a few hairs were lost in the process.

Her eyes were fixed on Angelus' sword and swung back and forth from the blade to the fallen slayer. Faith knew she had a chance in a million to manage to get Buffy from under the noses of the three vampires, but she also knew she couldn't leave her there.

She'd take her out or fall next to her.

"Stand still, stupid whore!" Angelus shouted, unable to strike the quickly moving slayer. His concentration had been shot to hell when Spike had interfered and mucked up his plans. He'd had the slayer at his feet and the vampire's interruption had saved the blonde's life.

"Dammit!" Angelus struck again and smiled when he finally managed to draw blood. Faith grunted and felt the air touch the wound in her left arm, cursing and realizing Angelus was focusing again on the fight.

If she'd been unable to touch Drusilla, she didn't know how well she'd fare against him.

So Faith did what she did best.

Improvise.

The slayer rolled on the floor, grabbed a fistful of mud, and threw it at Angelus' face.

The unlikely projectile found its mark, and gave the slayer the split second of distraction needed for her to reach her goal.

Now she had to hope Spike or Drusilla wouldn't react in time.

Faith stretched her arms as much as she could, and smiled when her right arm grabbed Buffy's dirty clothes. She grabbed them as hard as she could and pulled the indeed drooling slayer towards her. Faith rolled with her precious charge and in a fluid motion stood up and began running.

She cursed as she remembered she wouldn't be able to feel any of the vampires should they decide to chase her, but she pushed her limits and fears away and ran as fast as she could.

--------------------------

Behind the fleeing slayer, Angelus furiously wiped his eyes and felt hot bile rise through his throat. When he finally managed to wipe his eyes, he scanned the ground and noticed there was no enemy around.

And there was no enemy at his feet.

Angelus roared and his face turned red with anger when he saw that the two vampires had not moved an inch.

"What is wrong with you!" Angelus shouted. "We had them at our mercy! We could have taken the both of them! They're the generals! What were you thinking?"

Spike chuckled and shook his head.

"You just don't understand. You're as thick headed as ever."

"Shut up, you pathetic excuse for a vampire." Angelus hissed. "You are not needed nor wanted here. You can go back doing whatever you were doing, like being dead. Drusilla doesn't need you. I am all that she needs."

Spike's smirk returned and he turned to look at the dark haired vampire. He smiled affectionately at her and ran his hand through her hair.

"That right, love?" He asked. "You don't need me here?"

"Of course I need you here." Drusilla nodded. "You are the true leader of our army."

Angelus' face turned even redder.

-----------------------

Base camp became a steaming bowl of motion, as the soldiers regrouped and took their positions again. Commander Finn was in a delirious state but he'd delivered orders before succumbing to the fever assaulting his injured body.

Giles and the slayer's friends were confused but knew they'd soon have to react or attack first, seeing how the prophesized enemy had shown up.

And had strangely enough saved Buffy's life.

Giles stood forward, forgetting all attempts to keep him off the battle field, and opened his arms when Faith ran straight to him, carrying the unconscious Buffy.

Faith carefully transferred her charge and Giles cradled her to his chest, as a father would to his child.

"Thank you, Faith." The old man muttered. Faith nodded and saw Dawn Summers running towards her.

"You saw him." Dawn said. "Is it Spike?"

"He sure as hell looks like him." Faith gasped, feeling her legs burn from the abnormal burst of speed she'd demanded of them. "But he let me run right under his nose. Makes you wonder what the hell is going on."

"He also saved Buffy's life." Dawn said as she rushed to Giles' side, who had carried Buffy to a nearby stretcher abandoned on the field.

"How is she?" Dawn asked.  
"Her heart beat is strong and getting stronger." Xander said. "We should get a doctor to see her, though."

"Already on it." Willow said as she appeared next to the unconscious slayer, panting from running to seek and find a medic on sight.

The doctor quickly examined Buffy, and carefully checked her head and neck, where ugly bruises had formed. He opened her eyes and flashed them with a small flashlight, and what he saw seemed to satisfy him.

"Seems she's ok." The medic said, putting everything away on a rush. "But we shouldn't dismiss a concussion or spinal trauma, from what the lady told me, she received quite a massive hit to her neck and head."

"She's a slayer." Dawn said. "She'll be fine."

"We don't know that." Giles said, fearing for his daughter's safety. "That was a horrible attack, Dawn…"  
"She's recovered from worse." Dawn cut off Giles' words. "And right now? I guess we should be more worried about Spike's appearance and that absurdly large army that stands behind them."

"Mum?"

Everyone turned around to see Anne Summers standing a few feet away from them, a look of pure fear on her face.

"Shit." Dawn muttered. "Come her, Annie. She's ok, she just got hit in the head. A lot."

"God, she looks like shite." Annie muttered as she saw her mother. Giles was about to chastise her when he realized Buffy did indeed look like hell.

"She'll be fine in no time." Faith said, knowing she'd have to take charge until Buffy woke up. "We right now have to organize and decide what we're going to do."

Something clicked in Giles' mind and he turned to look at the young girl standing next to her mother.

"Annie? What is it you're wearing?"

"A coat, grandpa." Annie replied without turning to look at the man, her eyes fixed on the purple skin on her mother's neck.

"I know it is a coat, dear." Giles pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why are you wearing it?"

"Mum's attempts at getting me out of the battle." Annie answered.

"Seems awfully familiar." Faith spoke, having seen that piece of clothing once before.

"That it does, indeed." Willow said as well, staring into the worn leather.

"Hey, no big." Annie lifted her arms in sign of surrender. "It's not mine and I guess it's not mum's as well. There's even a pack of cigs in it."

Annie looked into one of the coat's pockets and came out with the mentioned pack.

"See? Morleys. Mum doesn't smoke and she said dad quit ages ago."

Annie's face fell at the mention of her father, and she turned to look where she could see motion on the battle field.

"Guess he isn't on the side of angels anymore." She sadly said. When she brought her eyes back to her friends and family, she noticed Uncle Xander standing very close to her.

"You shouldn't wear this, honey." He softly said. "This coat has a lot of history. Most of it bad."

"He's right, sweetie." Willow said, also standing close to her. "I guess your mother had her reasons, but I don't think…"  
"She specifically asked me to get it." Annie replied. "Don't know why, 'cause she freaked out when I put it on earlier, but she wanted me to find it."

"There may be a reason." Dawn interrupted. "We can't argue about it now. If that stupid coat makes you uncomfortable, deal with it. We have more pressing matters to attend here, like, what are we going to do about that damned army, and why did Spike save Buffy?"

"Why did who did what?" Annie asked, feeling left out of the conversation.

"The girl's right." Faith said. "We'll have to prepare."

The slayer took off, wanting to prepare her slayer sisters to be ready and try to organize the soldiers left without the command of either Riley or Buffy. Behind, Buffy's family remained together, staring at the injured slayer.

"Dad, I guess you'll have to stay here and watch over Buffy." Xander said. Giles sighed but nodded.

"Will? Don't want to pressure you, but…"

"I'm the big gun." Willow said, smiling. "I'll stay behind. Looks like I'll help more if I use some small white magic to heal the injured."

"Why didn't we think of that before?" Xander asked, slapping his forehead. "Right, but don't over do it. We may need you to deliver those big bullets of yours."

Willow mock saluted and left towards the medic's tent.

"Dawn, Annie, could you be convinced to stay around and watch over my old man here and your sister and mother?"

"Sure do." They both replied. Xander nodded and stood up as well.

"What are you going to do?" Giles asked, seeing his son standing up and stretching his arms.

"What the other watchers are doing." The young man replied. "I will walk with them to battle."

End of Chapter.


	63. Karma

Chapter 62 

**Karma**

**A/N: **Chapter sixty two of the series.

**Disclaimer: **All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback: **Sure, as you wish.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outskirts of London, England

December 2017

Buffy suddenly felt no pain.

The slayer could only feel a blessed warmth covering her body, and for a moment she forgot all about the battle and remembered the peace she'd felt that summer, more than fourteen years ago.

But then she opened her eyes and gasped, fearing she had died again and had left her family and friends alone.

She jumped up and stood on wobbly legs, trying to focus on her whereabouts and be ready for battle, should it arise.

She blinked twice and rubbed her eyes, not believing what she was seeing.

She was standing again in the vast blankness that was the netherworld.

"Great." She muttered. "Don't have time for more insights into my soul."

"Do you believe me now?"

Buffy slowly turned to where she heard her mother's voice.

"Hi mom." She said. "And what are you talking about?"

"You didn't believe me, before." Joyce said, smiling at her daughter. "And don't worry, you're not dead or dying, you're just unconscious. And a bit asleep."

"Asleep? You've got to be kidding me." Buffy groaned.

"No, dear, seems that hit to your head proved to be a bit beneficial." Joyce chuckled.

"Excuse me? How can a kick to the head help me at all?"

"Gave you a brief respite." Joyce replied. "A well needed rest. You won't help anyone if you're exhausted. You should have already learnt that one."

"Fine. Happy happy joy joy. I've got some free time courtesy of Angelus' boot. Great. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to wake up."

"Not so fast, honey. I want to talk to you."

"Ah. Now what is it? Wait, let me guess, I've got an incurable disease. Is that it?"

Joyce frowned. She hadn't expected her daughter to be so callous.

"Please, just hear me out."  
"People are dying out there, mom, I can't…"  
"We're outside of time." Joyce suddenly spoke. "There won't be any passage of time or any deaths. I promise."

Buffy crossed her arms and felt the need to stomp the ground with her feet, but she took deep breaths and managed to relax a bit.

"Ok. Tell me." Buffy said. "No, wait. Let me speak for a change. Why couldn't you tell me the Powers were using Spike as their gopher?"

"What?"

"You know what I'm talking about. Cordelia told me."

Joyce shook her head.

"She shouldn't have spoken." The angel muttered. "I wanted to be the one to tell you all of this."

"Well, at least she has been speaking to me. What I would really want to know is why I'm learning all of this through a woman who wasn't even my friend when she was alive instead of my own mother?"

"Everything has it's time and it's place, honey." Joyce said. "All this information couldn't be given so freely. So carelessly. It's part of the rules, dear. We have to respect them."

"Right, right. If you knew all of this was about to happen, then why didn't you warn me before? Like, ten years earlier or so? And if you are so powerful and are trying to play with both sides, why didn't you or the powers fix all of this and end it all?"

"Because the Powers didn't change anything!" Joyce blurted out. "You still don't understand? The Powers can't fix your mistakes because they didn't have anything to do with them! The existence of more slayers is because of you and Willow, get that into your head! We can't fix what you did! The Powers can't change that! It's because of you and your decisions alone that we've come to this point!"

Joyce ran her hands through her hair, hating that she had to be telling her daughter such things.

"You and Angel, honey. You played with fate and this is the outcome. You and your friends, who couldn't let you rest. Angel and his need to be the hero. Spike and his desperation. You all played Russian roulette with Balance and this is the outcome. The Powers can't do a thing because you twisted their plans and now you have to fix them."

"Is that why they are playing with us?" Buffy asked, feeling a knot on her throat. "Is that why they're playing with Spike? Why they're playing with me? Tell me. You knew about Annie and Spike, didn't you?"

Joyce sighed and nodded.

"And you couldn't tell me? Once again, I have to find out who the father of my child is through Cordelia? What is wrong with you?"

"Remember when you were younger, Buffy?" Joyce asked. "Remember when you first told your father and me about you and your calling? Remember what happened?"

Buffy nodded.

"And then you began risking your life, dear. Every night you went out and you didn't tell me about who you were and what you were doing. If I recall correctly, it was a night when Spike was with you when you decided to trust in me and tell me what you were."

"And you kicked me out of the house." Buffy bitterly replied.

"I know. And I'm sorry. But it's similar here. Would you have believed me ten years ago? Would you have kicked me out of your house if I came with such news?"

Buffy closed her eyes and lowered her head. She knew her mother had a point.

"You close completely when you hear things you don't want to know about, dear." Joyce continued. "You played with fate and now it's broken. Since you broke it, you have to fix it."

"That's why you gave me the choice, right?" Buffy asked, opening her eyes. "Only Willow can remove the slayer's powers, and she'd only do it if I asked her… right?"

"Yes. But that time is gone and over." Joyce sadly said. "Now you have Angelus and Spike is carrying out his orders. You can only hope he's quick and ends it all fast."

"What happened to him?" Buffy asked. "Why are the Powers playing with him?"

"Because he's convenient." Joyce replied. "Isn't that what you once told him?"  
"Mom, please." Buffy drew in a sharp intake of air. "That was a long time ago…"

"That is why he became the perfect pawn, honey." Joyce continued. "What he felt for you was the only innocent and pure thing he felt or did since turning into a vampire. He gave all that devotion and was met with harsh words and fists and pain."

"Mom…"

"You know, it's not different from what Angelus did to you." Joyce kept talking. "You used his love and twisted it for your own benefit. Spike meddled with powers beyond his comprehension and he gave his very self, his very existence for what he thought was your only chance to be happy."

"God, mom, please!" Buffy broke down. "I know about that! I heard it the first time. I know what I did. I have shed my tears about that."

"But you asked, dear." Joyce replied. "You asked why he is being used. When I say he gave what he had to give, the Powers noticed a certain trait in him. His loyalty. His need to get things done completely. His need to see how it ends."

"So he did this to himself?"

"Oh no, honey. He was a murderer. An unrepentant murderer. He went to hell, like all assassins do. He did his time there until he became exactly what the Powers needed."

"And what is that?"

"You'll see, honey." Joyce sadly said. "You'll see for yourself."

"Why?"

"It's all about balance, dear, I've told you before. Karma."

"Karma?"

"Do you know how special you are, Buffy?" Joyce asked. "And I don't mean the slayer thing. I mean you, Buffy, the girl and the woman. You made a vampire with a soul want to get up from the filth he'd inhabited for almost a century and become a champion. You made a soulless murderer turn from his ways and completely change, dear. You made someone who didn't care about life or death care about you and ultimately love you. You gave a reason to change to Angel, but you changed Spike's entire sense of existence, Buffy. You became his chance at redemption. You were his angel."

Tears threatened to appear, but Buffy bit the inside of her mouth to keep from spilling them.

"But you used him, dear. You abused him. You took a feeling so powerful as love for granted. You felt dirty and didn't realize what a miracle you were performing. You sinned, Buffy. You twisted his love until he himself bent and lost everything. That didn't go unnoticed."

"What are you trying to tell me?"

"This ordeal is far from ending." Joyce said, and her voice seemed unnatural. "Your final test is still to come. A test you'll face not as the slayer, but as a woman."

"Why can't you tell me what is going on?" Buffy cried out. "I hate this cryptic shit! I hate that you're telling me I'm single handedly responsible for messing up the natural order of things. I'm sorry that by trying to understand the world I fucked it up! I'm sorry for everything!"

Joyce sighed and brought her daughter close for a hug. The angel felt the hot tears coming out of her daughter's eyes and felt them as daggers in her heart.

"You have to be strong, Buffy. I can't tell you more because I'm not allowed to. You are an adult now, dear. You have to face the consequences of what you've done. You know that, don't you?"

Buffy only cried harder, her logic shattered and her hopes vanishing.

"There are always answers, honey. There are always paths. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel. You'll find a way."

-----------------------

Buffy opened her eyes to the darkness of London's sky.

She turned around and the pain in her neck welcomed her back to reality. She still heard her mother's words and knew the hardest part of the conflict was still to come.

"Buffy?"

The slayer turned her head to the other side and saw Giles' concerned eyes looking at her own.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah." She replied. "Think so. What's with the grim face?"

"Angelus almost got you." Giles said as he caressed her head.

"Faith got me out in time, huh?" The slayer asked and groaned as she sat up.

"No." Giles replied, his hand on Buffy's back, giving her some support. "Faith didn't get there in time."

"Then why am I not shish kebab on the battle field?"

Giles pointed east, and Buffy slowly turned to look.

She gasped when she saw the platinum haired head standing next to Drusilla and Angelus.

"He saved you." Giles said. "He stopped Angelus' hand when he was about to strike you."

-----------------------

"He's what?" Angelus' shout was heard all over their base camp. Spike chuckled and stared deep into Angelus' eyes.

"Looks like you're the third wheel, Angelus." Spike said. "Now be a good boy and gather the troops, 'ey?"

Angelus seethed and his eyes almost turned red from sheer anger. He gripped the sword's hilt so hard the steel almost gave away.

But Angelus was not stupid, and he knew just how fickle a mistress Drusilla was. He knew she was the real power leading the army, and he knew she would always love him over the stupid William.

He hadn't survived more than three centuries by rushing or following impulses.

He'd heard how Spike had disappeared or died, he would now make sure that happened.

He'd see it with his own eyes, after he did it with his bare hands.

"Sure thing, Spike, old friend." He almost sang. "I'll rally the troops, right on, sir!"

He'd bide his time. He'd always been good at it.

He'd wait until Spike turned his back on him.

And if there was one thing Angelus was good at, was waiting.

End of Chapter.


	64. Third Strike, You're Out

Chapter 63 

**Third Strike, You're Out**

**A/N: **Chapter sixty three of the series.

**Disclaimer: **All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback: **Sure, as you wish.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outskirts of London, England

December 2017

Buffy the vampire slayer couldn't recover from the shock when the Initiative soldiers ran to their positions.

"What…?"

"Sorry, ma'am, but Red Leader is already on the battle front." One of the soldiers said. "We're here to bring cover to you. The enemy is making their move."

"Dammit." Buffy muttered and tried to stand up. Giles' other hand shot and held on to her shoulder.

"Are you sure you're all right?" He asked.

"Doesn't matter, does it?" She replied. "We've got three master vampires leading the army of hell. I can't stay here and do nothing."

"Mum!" Annie smiled when seeing her mother up and awake.

"Annie? What are you doing here?"

"You did ask me to come back." Annie frowned. "And even if you hadn't, we have to stay together."

"Honey, I know I asked, but now things are even worse than before."

"Why?"

"Because we're fighting powerful enemies, honey." Buffy replied. "And because you may find out things you're not ready to know."

"Mum, I have seen things I never thought I'd see, and learnt things about my own father I never even imagined." Annie said. "I don't want to lose you, or have a stranger come home and tell me they found my family dead. If we're going to go down, let me go down fighting next to you."

Buffy didn't have any words to answer, and instead hugged her daughter.

"Right. But promise me something."

Annie nodded, her head against her mother's shoulder.

"Should I ask you to leave, you'll have to, understood?"

"Mum…"

"Honey, I have learnt things I never even imagined or dreamt about. I have heard and seen things that could hurt you very much. I don't want you to learn about it on the battlefield. Any distraction could get is killed."

"You're scaring me."

"There's just one thing you have to understand now, dear." Buffy stared into her daughter's eyes. "Your father…, he isn't what he was, he…"

"Is Angelus, I know."

"No, no, no. I just..., don't get near any of those three."

"What three?"

"Them."

Annie looked at the enemy's base camp and saw three figures standing in front of them, seemingly ready to move forward and launch their third attack. She saw her father, the vampire who'd kidnapped her years ago, and a third, unknown male figure.

"Who is he?" Annie asked, pointing her finger at Spike.

"He…, he is Spike."

"That's Spike?" Annie frowned. "Thought he'd be taller."

"Pray you don't have to fight against him." Buffy smirked. "And just so you know it, two of them wiped the floor with Faith and your momma here, so don't get anywhere near them."

"I don't think that's going to be an option, mum."

Their eyes fixed on the three vampires, now moving towards them.

-----------------------

The already exhausted slayers and the brave soldiers stood front against the attack.

Fortunately for them, the enemy was tired as well, fighting as ferociously as them and giving their all. Had it been a different time and a different war, there would have been respect between both sides. They gave their all and fought with passion and ardent fervor.

Amidst them all, vampires struck demons, guided by the slayer's daughter, their loyalty firm and unwavering, many of them falling while protecting the blue eyed blonde girl.

The sound of metal clashing rang through the never ending night, screams and growls from fighters falling filled the ears of those still fighting, and the smell of blood soon turned into an unbearable stench.

The fight continued for what seemed like hours, both sides not yielding, until what had to happen happened.

One of the older slayers, one of those trained by Buffy herself, fifteen years before, came face to face with one of the deadliest vampires known to slayers.

The once naïve Vi found herself standing right in front of a sword wielding Spike.

"What are you looking at, pet?"

Vi looked around, seeing if she'd have any sort of backup, but she saw only chaos and madness.

"Scanning the battlefield." The woman replied. "Searching for any advantage against you."

"I'm flattered, but I gotta tell you. I'm very good at killing your kind."

"And I excel at killing yours."

Vi lifted her sword, and struck Spike's own.

"Oh, fiery little one." Spike chuckled as he dodged two strikes. Vi stopped and took a defensive posture.

"Ah, now there's a smart slayer." Spike noted. "You all come forward as gibbering maniacs, you know? You trust so much in your superior strength that you don't analyze the situation."

"I'm not like other slayers." Vi replied. "I don't like to fight that much."

"May I ask why?"

"It always ends too fast." Vi answered as she once again struck. Spike was surprised by the quick and effective motions. Seemed like the girl didn't waste energy and didn't use more moves than those absolutely necessary.

"You're one of the old ones, aren't you?" He asked. "Those who've been slayers for too long."

"I survived two apocalypses." Vi replied. "I think I'll manage a third one."

"I survived several." Spike said, his eyes roaming through Vi's body. "Caused a couple of them. Had a busy life. Or unlife. Whatever."

"Read somewhere you had a chip on your brain." Vi continued, studying her opponent. "Stopped you from injuring humans."

"Can't say I remember, love." Spike chuckled. "Could be. Don't really care."

"Fifteen years ago."

"Right. Have I met you before? You look awfully familiar."

"Haven't had the pleasure."

"Name's Spike."

"I know. My name is Victoria. Most people call me Vi."

"Like the queen in days of old, huh?"

Vi saw an opening and fast as lightning swung her sword. The tip of steel nicked Spike's hand, instinctively risen to protect his face.

"Now, that wasn't polite, pet." Spike said, licking the blood of his hand. "Tricky. I like that in a girl."

"I'm not a girl."

"I'm as old as dirt, pet. You're a baby to me."

"A baby that just cut your hand."

"A naughty baby, all right?" Spike chuckled. "Man, you slayers are more fun every time I meet one of you."

"You killed three. You are famous because of that."

"Oh, no, luv. I have killed more than three." Spike said. "I can't even remember how many."

"You lie." Vi hissed. "I don't know how you killed Kennedy. She was one of the strongest."

"Problem with you slayers." Spike chuckled. "Is you think you are the best of the best. The best fighter isn't he who conquers all, but he who conquers himself."

"Cryptic." Vi frowned. "Like Giles. Look, not that it hasn't been fun, but could you stand still so I can behead you?"

"Wow, do you slayers make a point to be so bloody infuriating? Is it in the Official Handbook or what?"

Vi didn't answer and struck again with her sword. Spike answered with is own, and soon the two fighters were more like a blur in the battlefield, the normal eye not being able to follow both fighters.

The sound of their swords clashing was lost in the middle of the massive battle, but soon one of the fighters gained the upper hand.

More blood appeared on the field and a sword fell and embedded itself on the soiled ground.

"Good one." Spike said, holding his injured arm. "Managed to disarm me."

Vi didn't answer, she merely swung again, the sword aiming at Spike's neck. The vampire grinned as he dodged the weapon, diving for Vi's legs. Gaining the advantage, Spike hugged his opponent's legs and forced her to fall. In a quick motion, she slammed the back of her assailant with the hilt of her sword, and slammed her left fist into Spike's face.

The vampire growled, but he grinned as well. He morphed into his vampiric visage and bit hard into one of Vi's legs. The slayer howled in pain, and held upside down her sword, and lowered it fast and hard.

Spike couldn't move in time, and the sword struck his left shoulder blade, stopping with the bone. He growled again and jumped away. Blood soon dripped down his back, and he couldn't reach back far enough to dislodge the sword off his body.

"Bloody hell, girl, I thought we were having fun!"

Vi quickly tore off a piece of her sleeve and tied it quickly around her injured leg. Fortunately, Spike had missed the artery, or else she would have bled to death on the field.

She stood up, the rush of adrenaline aiding her.

Spike saw the fierce determination on her face and smiled.

"Good. There's the fire I want to see in a slayer."

"It's the last thing you'll see."

"You know, I'm getting tired of you slayers saying that." Spike hissed. "Have heard it so many times it's not fun anymore."

Without wasting time, Vi kicked Spike's head, sending him spiraling to the ground. When landing, the sword entered a bit more his body, and he felt the metal almost going all the way through.

The vampire growled as the slayer once again appeared next to him and punched him with all her strength. Spike's head snapped back with the impact, but he realized the slayer was tired, having felt the full brunt of a slayer's punch.

He laughed and spat blood aside. Vi didn't let herself be distracted and threw more punches at her enemy. Spike tried to block most of them, but he was distracted by the tenacity and fierceness of the woman in front of him. In another time or another place, he might have admired her.

Two more punches found their way, and Spike felt a few teeth loosen, and he knew it was time to end the game.

Vi threw more punches, but Spike caught both her arms and pulled her to him. Vi retaliated with a head butt which almost broke Spike's nose, but the vampire held on and kneed Victoria on the stomach. The air knocked out of her, Vi doubled over and Spike seized the opportunity and kissed her on the lips, both tasting each other's blood.

Vi spat when Spike's mouth left her, and the vampire chuckled.

"Oh, come on, I'm not a bad kisser."

Vi gazed at him with deadly eyes, but Spike kept smiling.

"As fun as this has been, I have other things to do and more slayers to kill."

Spike held Vi's arms against him, and pulled her even closer. Vi turned her head away, fearing another kiss, but Spike's actions caught her by surprise.

The vampire tossed themselves backwards.

When they hit the floor, the sword buried in Spike's back was pushed harder, going through the bone, muscle and flesh, exiting the vampire's body and entering Vi's shoulder.

Blood spattered both their faces, and the slayer bit her lips to stop her scream. It wouldn't do any good if she lost control and went into shock.

Spike, however, didn't have the same self control and howled as the offending metal went all the way through his body, and he didn't notice the blood falling on their faces.

"God damn it! I hate it when this happens!"

Vi tried to suppress all noise around her and think about a way of getting out of the mess she was into. She had lost her weapon and she was much to close to the vampire's fangs and knew it would take him no time until he realized the same.

Wasting no time, Vi ignored the pain and slammed her forehead into Spike's nose, hearing the bone crack and felt her own skin break with impact.

"Leave my bloody nose alone!" Spike growled and half twisted, causing the sword to shift and unbearable pain coursed through both fighter's bodies.

This time, Vi lost the battle with self control and screamed, the noise engulfed by the massive uproar of the war going on around them.

Spike chuckled and pushed the slayer away with all his strength. The sudden motion drove the sword out of Vi's body and blood spattered everywhere. The slayer tried to maintain her balance, but the pain and exhaustion caused her head to swirl for an instant and she fell on her knees. Her eyes quickly scanned the ground, looking for a discarded weapon in the sea of bodies, but she could only see blood.

"You sure are good." Spike said, coughing and spitting some blood. "You've come closer than most, guess this long living slayer shit does count for something."

"Wrong choice of weapon." Vi sighed. "If I had a stake, you would be dust by now."

"Foresight, huh?"

"A rookie's mistake."

"An honest mistake. I like you, slayer, but this soddin' thing has gone for too long." Spike growled, and still wearing his vampire mask, he lunged at her.

Vi didn't close her eyes, and rose her arms, ignoring the pain, in an attempt to fend off her assailant.

The impact never came, as a whirl of black appeared in front of her and tackled the vampire away.

The slayer blinked, and saw one of the men who'd trained her stand in front of her, facing her enemy.

A large Japanese sword appeared in the hand of the man talking, and a shorter one on his other hand.

"This has gone for too long." The man standing between vampire and slayer said. "You won't kill more slayers. You'll have to come through me first."

Vi looked up, and saw Xander Giles facing off the slayer of slayers.

End of Chapter


	65. See No Evil

Chapter 64 

**See No Evil**

**A/N: **Chapter sixty four of the series.

**Disclaimer: **All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback: **Sure, as you wish.

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Outskirts of London, England

December 2017

Spike smiled and a strange laughter erupted from his mouth.

There he was, a master vampire, about to kill a slayer when a man, a glorified bricklayer, stood on his way.

"Xander Harris." Spike finally spoke. "Got to say, never thought you'd know how to use a daisho."

"Live in Japan." Xander replied. "And it's no longer Harris. It's Giles."

"What?"

"I'm Giles' son now."

"The old git adopted you?"

"Don't call him that."

Spike chuckled and shook his head.

"God, this reality keeps getting weirder and weirder. Swell, now, could you get out of the way? I've got to kill a slayer."

"No. You won't kill another slayer." Xander replied. "You'll have to get through me first."

Spike laughed, a full, deep laughter that made Xander's pulse jump.

"How do you propose you'll do that?" Spike asked. "And I'm not an idiot, Harris, you haven't looked me in the eye. Something wrong wit' 'em?  
"Guess we couldn't ever hide something from you." Xander sighed. "I'm blind."

"Really?"

"As a bat."

"Man, this just keeps getting better and better." Spike chuckled. "And you think you'll be able to stop me?"

"Maybe not." Xander replied. "But I won't let you kill any more of my girls."

"You sound like Giles now." Spike noted. "But you lack the years of experience. Now, please give us a second."

Spike turned around, grabbed the nearest demon running madly on the battle field and growled at it. The demon seemed to understand to some extent, and one of its large hands grabbed the hilt of the sword embedded in Spike's body, and pulled it out.

Spike growled and Xander grimaced when he heard the muscle and bone rip as the blade exited the vampire's body. Spike shook and grabbed the sword out of the demon's hand, who ran away and tackled a group of soldiers.

"Ok, now that we got that out of the soddin' way, where were we?"

"I smell blood." Xander said. "You are injured."

"Yup. Slayer girl here used me as a pin cushion. Hurt like hell. Now I'm ready."

"Get out of here, Vi." Xander said. "Go back to base camp. Ask a medic to check you."

"Xander, you won't be able to fight him, he…"

"Victoria! Do as I tell you!" Xander shouted. Vi lowered her head, and noticed the small puddle of blood formed at her feet. She knew she wouldn't help much in the battlefield, and she'd just probably bleed to death there.

"Take care, Xander." She whispered as she scampered away. Spike saw her move in obvious pain and smirked.  
"Don't go too far, sweetie." The vampire said. "Couldn't taste you. You smell delicious."

"Spike! I'm your enemy now!"

Xander did not wait, and knew he would only get the element of surprise for a split second, so he closed his useless eyes, wished he could have seen Willow's face one more time, and struck with his katana.

Spike barely ducked in time and rolled. But Xander fixed on the vampire's smell and followed his every movement, wielding his wakisashi upside down, bringing it down in a stabbing motion, hoping to catch the vampire unaware.

Spike twisted on the floor and kicked in a whirlwind motion before standing up. Spike's face had turned into a huge smile, not believing what the bricklayer was doing.

"I'm impressed, Harris, you do know how to wield that weapon."

"I trained, Spike." Xander replied. "Had too much time."

"No longer a construction worker, I see."

"I am a watcher."

"Kinda ironic, don't you think?" Spike chuckled. "A blind watcher? That's just cruel."

"What's cruel is this war." Xander spread his arms. "What will it accomplish?"

"Every thing happens for a reason." Spike replied and swung the sword against Xander. The blind watcher countered with is blade, and both danced to the sound of metal clashing against metal.

"Not bad, Harris, not bad."

"I told you." Xander grunted as he shook from the impact of the swords. "The name is Giles."

"Right. 'Cause the name Harris wasn't good enough for you?" Spike asked as he struck again. "What's the matter, Harris? Didn't want the name? Was too ashamed of it? Thought you were better?"

"Giles was more of a father than…"

"Than the drunk that beat you and the mother who didn't give a rat's ass about you? Is that it, Harris? You thought that changing your name you could make up for the pathetic excuse that you and your family were?"

"I was a kid back then, Spike." Xander said, not wanting to let his temper flare. "My parents didn't give a rat's ass for me, like you said, but then again, they weren't my family."

"Oh, no, all your fuck ups are only yours, Harris." Spike chuckled. "You may change your name, you may change were you live, you may even change what you believe in, but you'll always be that same stupid kid who wanted to live through someone else."

"Right, and what about you, Spike?" Xander asked. "Or should I call you William? Mr. William Pratt, a scholar who excelled in literature? That's how I should refer to you?"

Spike's answer was laughter again, which caused blood to sputter out of his injuries.

"Good one. The Spike you know? Don't know how he behaves, but I? I am nothing like that. I've had centuries to change what I used to be. You? You suck, Xander Harris, plain and simple."

"I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" Spike asked, genuinely shocked. "Sorry for what? Existing?"

"For what we did to you." Xander replied. "We grew up, Spike. Those days, we were just kids. We were frightened and had dealt with things most adults don't even realize. We lashed out at the clearest scapegoat, and that was you. We feared and hated your kind, and you had been one of the worst. We seized the opportunity to mock you when you couldn't fight back, and we never thanked you for what you did for us. You saved us a lot that summer, Spike, and I wanted to say thank you, and sorry."

"What, do they put lead in the water in Japan or what?" Spike asked. "I don't even remember what you're talking about, Harris. I've seen versions of you, you know? Countless of them, and you have always been the weak link. You want to say you're sorry? Fine. But you're doing it to ease your guilt, boy. You do it because you think there's some sort of redemption if you repent. Because you've been a joke in all the multiverse, and thinks this makes you a better man."

Xander frowned.

"Me? I've done a lot of things, Harris. I've enjoyed them and I took the full brunt of it. I knew the consequences and I did it. You apologizing? It's because you know what I can do. Because you still fear me. Because you want to die with a clean slate. But guess what? I don't accept your apologies. I don't even care about them. I don't care about you. What I tell you? It's my job, Harris. I don't care if you were an unhappy kid. All I have to do is kill you to get to the slayers, and then I'll be on my way, so…"

Spike swung the sword again, and Xander's arm felt numb from blocking the strong attack. He was honestly sorry for how he'd been as a young man, but it seemed his enemy didn't want to hear about it. He focused again on the fight and knew he wouldn't be able to fend off the vampire for long.

Xander saw something in Spike's eyes, before something as hard as a hammer slammed into his side. The watcher choked and wondered over the pain why he hadn't heard or smelt the attack coming.

As he doubled over, a feeling of fire spreading over his body, Xander guessed the different scents and sounds on the field had confused him, and fending off Spike was no small feature at all.

When he fell to the ground, he gripped his swords harder, ready to strike as soon as he found enough leverage, but a sharp pain in his left leg broke all concentration and the ability to lean on it for balance.

He struggled not to howl, and instinctively let go of the wakizashi in order to check his leg. He found a sharp metal blade lodged in it, blood flowing freely.

"Spike, you tricky bastard." He spat out, but he couldn't see the look of confusion on Spike's face, nor he could see the look of utter joy on Angelus' face, his hand gripping the sword now embedded on his leg.

"You were playing with your food, Spike." Angelus chuckled. "Looks like something I'd do, but the game isn't all that cracked up when the mouse is blind."

"The mouse put up a better fight than most." Spike noted, having the time to check the still bleeding injury on his chest.

"What happened?" Angelus asked, and he twisted the sword on Xander's leg, causing the blind man to finally howl in pain.

"The bloke's still got a sword in one hand." Spike noted, and Angelus wasted no time before kicking Xander's right hand, causing the bone to break and the katana to fly away.

"Fixed." Angelus growled. "Now, what are we going to do with him?"

"He's already down." Spike said. "Just knock the wanker out and let's get going."

"What's the rush, William?" Angelus asked. Spike growled. "We can have our fun with him. I seem to remember rather demeaning nicknames, don't you? What were they, monkey boy?"

"I won't give you the satisfaction." Xander muttered. Angelus laughed and drove the sword deeper and twisted it even more, enjoying the sudden scream.

"You have never been fun, Xander." Angelus chuckled. "You sure are a waste of space."

"Either let him go or kill him." Spike muttered. "We can't waste our time here."

"You know, I'm getting tired of this follow the Spike shit." Angelus growled as he removed the sword from Xander's leg. "Maybe I don't want to listen to you."

"Fine." Spike said, shrugging. "Don't."

"And what's with Dusilla's actions? She seems a bit…weird."

"You made her insane." Spike replied.

"Not like that, you asshole! I mean she sounds all sane and stuff." Angelus shot back.

"She's always been like this." Spike answered. "You just had to spend enough time with her."

Spike looked down and kicked Xander's head, knocking the man out. Angelus frowned and lifted his sword, ready to jam it in Xander's body. Spike's hand once again stopped him.

"I swear to God, William, if you don't remove the hand you'll lose it!" Angelus growled. Spike chuckled and was about to reply when a female's voice stopped them.

"Arguing already, boys?"

Spike and Angelus turned to stare at Buffy's frame, smiling at them both.

End of Chapter.


	66. Kill You

Chapter 65 Kill You 

**A/N: **Chapter sixty five of the series.

**Disclaimer: **All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback: **Sure, as you wish.

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Outskirts of London, England

December 2017

Angelus reacted as fast as predicted.

Blood flew from Xander's leg as the blade left it and was swung directly at Buffy's head. The slayer leapt back just in time, seeing the blood glistening on the tip of the metal. She lifted her own sword and parried back, engaging Angelus in yet another sword fight in their history.

Behind them, Spike stared at the unconscious man on the ground, blood splattered all over him. The vampire frowned, remembering the words spoken by the blind man, and he suppressed memories discarded a long time ago.

Spike had left all that baggage behind and moved on, dealing with the hits fate kept sending his way. Blue eyes scanned the world around him and he saw what he'd seen for the past several years.

Destruction and fire.

He knew what he was looking at.

He smirked and flexed his left arm, sore and in pain because of the redheaded slayer's actions and his own half assed plan of impaling her with a sword already buried in his body.

'Bloody brilliant.' He thought, his eyes returning to the man lying on the floor before him. His eyebrows knitted and he wondered what had happened to the man to make him grow and at least have enough intelligence and maturity to acknowledge his mistakes.

Of course, the man was blind and had tried to attack someone who could kill slayers. Xander Harris could very well be insane.

Spike sighed. The destruction around was not his style. Sure, he loved a bit of mindless devastation, but a war shouldn't be fought in such a manner. He was a fighter, and even if his mind and perception of reality was shot to hell, he'd rather fight with his bare hands instead of using swords, fire or any weapon know to man or demons.

The vampire cracked his neck, feeling tired all of a sudden, sick of being pulled around in every direction, sick of being subject to his own feelings, and sick of all the killing.

He knelt down and took Xander's head between his hands. Looking at the man's face, still contorted in pain, Spike thought about killing him or not. It could be so simple, only a twist on the head and the neck would snap very easily. Xander was a watcher, a well trained one, who had always hated him, or so he remembered. The watcher could be a potential threat in the future, and he had already saved a slayer's life.

More accurately, Xander had bought a few more minutes of sucking air, because Spike was there to eradicate all slayers but one.

But it wasn't fair. Xander had fought with honor, and honor demanded to fight him again, in different terms and on their own. The man had earned that.

Spike sighed and let the man's head go. Around him, the battle still raged, and it was getting them nowhere. The slayers fought like lionesses when their cubs were threatened and there were still more than five hundred of them fighting.

On an unofficial recount, Spike could see his army flickering and more and more demon corpses filled the battle field. Seemed those crazy women got stronger as the conflict progressed. He figured he had been crazy as hell the first time he sought one of them. According to what everybody told him, it had been at the beginning of the 20th century when he'd first killed one. He didn't remember all that well, but he was sure he had met several as time went by.

Or it could be the result of brain damage or something related to it.

Whatever the case may be, he had to kill them all and off half the planet as quickly as he could. Standing up straight, he sought a weapon and got ready to fight the next enemy.

Which seemed to be several humans wearing automatic rifles to one side.

Some frenzied slayers tackling a couple of fyarl demons on the other.

And then there were Angelus and the blonde slayer.

Buffy.

Spike shook his head. He had his orders and he would carry them on, not mattering who or what got in his way.

----------------------

"You know, this is really getting on my nerves." Angelus growled as Buffy had his arm twisted behind his back. "I should have gutted you on your sleep. Had plenty of time to do it."

"Fourteen years." Buffy grunted as she tried to keep her enemy still.

"What a waste of time." Angelus continued. "You and that annoying brat. I should have cut you to ribbons."  
Buffy's anger escalated and she pulled his arm harder, almost breaking it.

"Don't talk about her." She hissed. "Don't you ever talk about her."

Angelus didn't reply as he threw his head back, connecting with Buffy's nose. The slayer pulled harder on Angelus' left arm and dislocated the shoulder before letting go. He screamed and squirmed in the ground, feeling pain running all over his arm, forgetting how painful such an injury was.

"You'll pay for this, bitch!" He growled.

"Yeah? What about my nose? You almost broke it!"

"Shut up!"

"Oh yeah, that's mature."

Angelus growled again and hoped someone could help him get his shoulder back in place, but with such an injury and facing a slayer, he knew he wouldn't last long.

"This has been amusing and all, but…"  
Buffy interrupted him with a swift kick to his face, knowing how he wouldn't be able to lift his arm to block. Angelus' head snapped back and he felt blood rushing down his mouth and nose. He coughed and spat blood, feeling his balance a bit off and the pain coursing through his body. Looking around, he saw the vampire who'd caused it all, standing next to the unconscious boy who'd been such a pain in the ass.

Angelus smirked and charged back, knowing the slayer would try to protect the fallen idiot and Spike would fight her.

Maybe then both would kill each other.

Buffy couldn't believe when Angelus scampered off and sprinted right behind him, knowing she had the chance of taking him down while he was alone. If he reached Spike or Drusilla, or both, she wouldn't be able to take him out. Picking up a strange looking sword in a fluid motion, Buffy aimed and threw the blade at Angelus' legs. The sword didn't fulfill the intended purpose, but it worked as Angelus tripped on it, landing unceremoniously on his injured shoulder.

Buffy soon caught up with him, and avoided the punch that Angelus threw while turning around. She quickly straddled him, and while blocking his right arm, she punched him as hard as she could, wanting him out as quickly as possible.

It took her three full strength punches until Angelus was knocked out, and she let out a sad sigh when she noticed his bruised face. She had loved him for so long it amazed her how easily she could act like a slayer again when Angelus returned.

"You should kill him now, you know?"

Buffy looked up and stared into blue eyes she had not seen in almost fifteen years.

"Spike."

"The one and only." Spike replied and lifted a recently acquired battle axe. "Are you going to kill the bloke or just straddle him?"

Buffy blushed and stood up, picking the tossed sword as well.

"My mother told me what you're doing." She said. "And I'm afraid I can't let you do it."

"Who said what?"

"My mother. She said your job was to kill slayers."

"All but one." Spike nodded. "Fix something."

"Do you even care about it?" Buffy asked. "Do you feel anything?"

"Huh? What the hell are you talking about?"

"This! This war! All the deaths!"

Spike frowned and looked around.

"I could use a fag, if that's what you're talking about."

Buffy couldn't believe what she was hearing. There he was, the vampire who claimed had loved her fifteen years ago, not one bit changed except for a new scar on his face and acting like he didn't even care about what was happening.

"It's just the way the game is played, luv."

Something snapped inside Buffy's mind and her heart and her logic tumbled inside until she didn't know what the hell was happening.

"You were one of the good guys." She softly said.

"That was stupid." Spike admitted. "And a long time ago."

"Fifteen years ago."

"What?"

"Fifteen years. You were one of us. Dawn misses you."

"What are we talking about?"

"Spike, what happened to you?"

The vampire didn't reply and instead lifted the axe high on the air.

"I don't know what the bleeding hell you're talking about." He said before taking a swing at her. Buffy yelped and barely moved out of the way on time. She lifted her sword to block another attack, and she kicked at Spike's legs.

The vampire leapt out of her reach and brought down the weapon as hard as he could against her. The impact shattered one end of the axe and the blade of Buffy's sword. Both fighters tossed away their useless weapons and met their battle with their fists.

--------------------

Angelus groaned as he opened his eyes.

Feeling his head throbbing, he stood up and quickly looked around, remembering where he was and what he was doing before losing consciousness.

He frantically scanned his surroundings, searching for his enemy and frowning when he couldn't find her. Looking down at his body, he found no puncture wounds and no more blood than what he had on before starting. He moved his left arm and unbearable pain returned, reminding him of his dislocated shoulder.

Cursing out loud, Angelus sought the nearest demon, and like Spike moments ago, he enlisted the aid of one of the fighters of his army. Signaling the demon until the creature understood, Angelus braced himself for the pain when it pulled his arm and relocated his shoulder. Angelus growled and knelt down in pain, wanting to kill the slayer for causing him such an injury.

Taking deep breaths, Angelus rose from the floor and sought another weapon, one of the advantages being that the battlefield was filled with discarded armory.

Finding a broken sword, Angelus frowned but picked it up, and began to look his opponent.

When his eyes fell on her, he smiled when noticing who she was fighting against. An idea began to form in his head and he ran towards them.

Looked like Angelus wouldn't have to wait more.

--------------------

The slayer and vampire soon fell into stalemate, both too familiar with the way each other fought.

Buffy had immediately remembered how they used to dance, but Spike seemed to have fallen into step automatically, his body reacting before he had the time to process about what was happening.

"Not bad." Buffy said. "Just like old times."

"I must say, you're far better than any of the other slayers I've fought so far." Spike replied. "But that won't change the outcome."  
"So sure of yourself." Buffy chuckled. "As usual. But I've stopped you before, and I'll find a way to do so now."

"You won't." Spike simply said. "But feel free to try."

"What's with everyone telling me you can't be stopped?" Buffy asked. "Ever since the first time you appeared in my life, Angel warned me about you."

"And?"

"And now, every angel that has appeared has told me I can't stop you." Buffy continued. "I don't know what happened to you, or why you seem to be unstoppable, but…"

Buffy couldn't finish her words, when something made Spike's black t-shirt bulge right under his heart.

The vampire's blue eyes grew large and he stared first into Buffy's hazel ones and then down to his chest. The shirt broke and the edge of a broken sword appeared, soaked with the vampire's blood.

"What the…?"

Buffy stepped forward and tried to touch the offending metal, but it was quickly withdrawn. Spike grunted and lurched forward, leaning on Buffy's shoulder. Blood splattered her clothes and he looked at her with confused eyes.

"Spike! What…?"

The broken sword swung again, and it cut through the vampire's neck, spraying more blood into the air and into Buffy's face.

For an instant, the slayer locked eyes with the vampire who had once loved her.

And again, Buffy saw Spike turn into dust in front of her.

End of Chapter


	67. Nevermore

Chapter 66 Nevermore 

**A/N: **Chapter sixty six of the series. Received some emails and reviews regarding the events in last chapter. Fortunately enough, there were no flames or any sort of name calling attached to it. I have to say I didn't pull it off magically or was a plot twist or a lame attempt at playing with the small but faithful audience. It is all part of the plot, which has been in my mind and in paper for two or three years now.

Anyways, thank you all for reading. I hope you keep enjoying the story.

**Disclaimer: **All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback: **Sure, as you wish. Looks like the begging worked, we're now at 32 reviews on Again, thanks a lot.

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Outskirts of London, England

December 2017

Angelus smiled as he saw the wind carried away the dust of what once had been his apprentice.

Savage joy rose through his body and he laughed out loud.

"Finally!" He growled. "Finally got rid of him! I knew I'd get my chance one day. One good day!"

Buffy stared at the place where Spike had been. All the warnings, all the cryptic references, all the anxiousness regarding the vampire, and he was killed by Angelus in a treacherous way.

"You…, you attacked him from behind." Buffy muttered. "He was one of your own, and…"

"Oh please, he was never one of us!" Angelus hissed. "He was always taking care of Drusilla and trying to prove something. He tried too much, too hard, you know?"

Buffy still couldn't grasp what she'd seen. All the lost years were again lost, and she wouldn't get the chance to know what had happened to him.

She hadn't realized it until know, but she had really wanted him to meet Annie.

Angelus knew an opportunity when he saw one, so he struck against her, trying to catch her off guard. The instincts of the slayer took over and she dodged the strike, hitting Angelus' legs, causing him to fall hard on his back.

Buffy looked at him, and felt bile rise and the need to retch assaulted her. She had been unable to do a thing when she first saw Spike die, and she had spent countless nights wondering what she could have done to avoid his fate.

Now she had been standing in front of him, talking to him, when he'd been taken away from her once more.

For the first time in her life, she truly, completely hated Angelus.

"Aw, the little slayer is mad at me?" Angelus said. "Did I break her toy?"

Buffy didn't reply, and in a display of pure slayer speed and strength, she punched Angelus' face, sending him flying backwards. He land crashed against several unearthed rocks, feeling bones and ribs shatter on impact.

Buffy slowly walked towards him, feeling her rage grow with every step. She didn't bother about picking another weapon, she would teach him a lesson with her bare hands.

Angelus moaned and groaned on the floor, feeling the shattered ribs bury in his inner organs. He chocked blood and rolled around, trying to ease the pressure inside.

He felt more pain as Buffy's boot impacted on his nose, sending more blood flying, and his neck snapping to the side. Much like the slayer before, he felt half of his body go numb and he wondered if she had broken his neck or some important vertebrae on his spine.

"Buffy, honey, please." Angelus drawled, feeling his mouth filling with blood.

"Don't." Buffy coldly replied. "Don't try to stop me."

Angelus laughed, and more blood fell off his mouth and nose, causing a coughing fit.

"We played with fate, and this is the result." Buffy said, finally coming to terms with what they'd done. "You had your place by my side, but you didn't want it. Seems Spike was wrong, you have never been man enough to stand by my side."

"Spike?"

"He's the reason you became human." Buffy revealed. "I can tell you know. I don't care about your feelings or your pride. You're not the man I married. I was too blinded by hopes and by a need to respect Spike's sacrifice."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"He gave his life so you would have a chance next to me." Buffy growled. "He thought you were the man I needed. He was wrong, and I feel so bad about it. He was by far a better man than you."

"We're not men, stupid cow." Angelus drawled. "We're something else."

"No, Angelus. You are a monster. He was a man. A good man."

"Since we're on that, seems he's become quite the killer, wouldn't you think?"

"He's doing what we've done for so long." Buffy replied. "We have blindly followed the higher powers, and look were that has taken us."

Angelus spat more blood away. "Don't pin on me those mistakes. That wasn't me, remember?"

Buffy looked away.

"You look the same." She softly said. "I look at you and I see my husband. I see the man who helped me all those years ago. But I also see the demon who tried to end the world. Who killed Giles' true love. Who has just killed…"

"And the father of your child." Angelus sneered. "That's why you can't kill me? Because I fathered that little bitch?"

Buffy kicked him hard on the stomach.

"Don't talk about her!" She shouted. "That girl loves you, and you have been an asshole to her!"

"Can't help it." Angelus struggled to stand up. "Can barely stand her."

Buffy picked up her enemy by the lapels of his leather jacket, and shook him, causing Angelus to gasp and his face became a grimace of pain.

"You won't get out of this so easily." Buffy said. "I won't kill you, but punish you in the worst way. I will find a way to get that soul back into you, seeing how much you hate being Angel."

Angelus laughed and Buffy frowned.

"Go ahead, do whatever you want to do!"

Buffy's face hardened and she slammed him against the floor, hating how he could always make her lose her temper.

Growls behind her forced the slayer to turn around, and gasped when she saw the dark beauty approach her.

"Drusilla."

"Slayer."

Buffy frowned. She had never been acknowledged by Drusilla.

"There's no point in you killing him." Drusilla said. "This army has its orders. They will follow through."

"Your army is falling to pieces." Buffy replied. "We're gaining ground."

"Slayers are dying, which was the main point." Drusilla countered. "And even you won't be able to save them all."

"We'll keep fighting."

"The game changed."

"This was never a game."

"It is, slayer. The board is set, and both sides have played their cards. The last card appeared and we have the upper hand."

"No you don't!" Buffy shouted. "Angelus killed Spike!"

"A minor setback." Drusilla replied. "The events have been set in motion. Nothing can stop them now."

"How can you be so cold?"

"I have lost William before." Drusilla answered, her eyes surprisingly honest. "To you."

Buffy shut her mouth and for once felt sympathy for the not so crazy vampire in front of her.

"This battle has gone for too long." Drusilla said. "We've reached a point of no return. My warriors can't do anything else."

"What are you saying?"

"Take your slayers. Get them away. I'll remove my demons."

"Huh?"

"Don't misunderstand this." Drusilla growled. "You and your slayers will still die, but this battle has served its purpose. Nothing else will come out of it."

Buffy didn't know what to reply and stared in silence at the two demons who picked the mangled Angelus and walked away.

"Wait! I can't let you take him."

"What would you do with him?" Drusilla asked.

"Take a soul and jam it into him."

Drusilla smiled again.

"That wouldn't help at all."

The vampire turned around and walked away. Around her, Buffy saw the remaining demons begin to back away and lower their weapons, confusing the slayers, watchers and other soldiers. They looked at each other with frowns and didn't know what was happening. Buffy felt her resolve give and she fell to the ground, feeling the exhaustion get to her and the emotional roller coaster began to take its toll. She only wanted to curl around and cry until she fell asleep, but she knew there were several things to do.

She'd have to tell them about Spike, even though she knew they'd take it as a good sign, knowing how no one else but her and probably Dawn would care that he'd been removed from the battle field.

She guessed most of them would take it as a morale booster, seeing how one third of the problem was no longer an issue.

Then she thought about Annie, and her mind swirled around, trying to come up with answers to questions she hadn't even formed in her head. She knew she would do anything to erase Angelus, and get Annie's father back.

Almost as if calling them with her heart and soul, Dawn and Annie appeared by her side. Bruised and blood drenched, the two other girls knelt down besides the slayer and held her.

"What happened?" Dawn asked, seeing the look of pure defeat on her sister.

"Found the three of them." Buffy sighed and turned her attention to her daughter. "What about you, dear, how are you?"

"Bloody great, mum." Annie replied, a tired smile on her face. "You never told me fighting would be so exhilarating."

"A true slayer's daughter." Dawn chuckled.

"You were right about the coat, mum." Annie said. "It makes me feel secure."

"Huh?"

"I know, dear, I know." Buffy nodded. "Wore it to battle some times. You can see some holes in it, and, uh, the previous owner would have been horrified to see all the blood splattered on it."

"I know! I hated that, but it's hard to avoid getting blood stains if it was practically raining."

"All this clothes won't be useful ever again." Dawn chuckled. "And not that I'm complaining, but what's with the demons running away?"

"An unlikely truce." Buffy replied. "Drusilla called the attack off."

"What?"

Buffy ran her hands through her hair, ignoring the blood in it and other liquids mixed in it.

"Angelus killed Spike."

All the blood ran from Dawn's face.

The once and former key lost her balance and almost fell face first on the ground. Buffy slowly placed her hand on her sister's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Dawn." Buffy said, her voice breaking. "I couldn't do a thing. We were all fighting and…"

"How?" Dawn whispered.

"No." Buffy whispered back. "No, honey, no. You don't want to know."

Some tears fell and Dawn quickly wiped them away. She forced her control back and she sat straight.

"Very well. What are you going to do about that bastard?"

"I'm going to put his soul back." Buffy said. "That's the worst punishment I can think of. Angelus will be trapped forever again inside Angel's body."

"But…"

"I know." Buffy looked away. "We'll have to devise a way to keep the soul inside for ever."

"So you don't want him dead?" Annie asked, biting her lip.

"Honey, I hate Angelus, but Angel is…, he is your father. If I can find a way to get him back to you, we'll find it."

"I don't want him gone." Annie said. "I may not like him much now, but I don't want to lose him."

"Looks like the Summers girls don't have much luck in the fathers department." Dawn sighed. "Makes me al the more glad we have Giles."

"Right." Buffy said. "Look, we may have a few hours of rest. We'll have to make the best of them. Help me get up."

The three women stood and walked away, trying not to step on the thousands of bodies of both demons and humans on the field. The slayer counted every fallen comrade until she reached the alarming number of 422 fallen, counting slayers, watchers and soldiers. She said a prayer for each and every one of them, and swore she'd find a way to end the conflict without more lives lost.

Hours later, Commander Finn had regained consciousness and had gathered his forces and ordered them to take a break. The slayer and her people also improvised a base camp and most of them were resting, using Annie's remaining turok han to keep guard. Out of the several hundred vampires, only 72 of them had survived the conflicts, but they remained loyal to Annie.

Feeling safe enough, Annie took a small walk outside their camp. The light but constant rain had extinguished most of the flames in London, and some helicopters dared to circle the city's air space, not seeing or hearing a sound from the dragons circling.

Annie frowned. Her mother had told her about Wesley's plan, but she was deeply concerned about her brother. She knew Connor knew how to take care of himself, but she itched to find him and help him. She also knew Wesley and Illyria were practically indestructible, but that didn't stop her from worrying.

Standing on her own, she didn't feel the presence standing a few yards away from her until he spoke.

"Isn't it dangerous to be on your own out here?"

Annie leapt back and quickly sought a weapon, frowning when remembering she had left her sword behind.

'Stupid.' She thought. 'And careless.'

"Who is it?"

"Nice coat." The stranger said before walking towards a spot of moon light. "Had one just like that ages ago."

Annie frowned, and stared at the stranger standing in front of her.

"My mum gave it to me." Annie replied, her eyes glued to him. "Said it was hers."

"Who's your mum? The slayer?"

"Buffy."

"Ahh, so you're the poof's daughter."

"Huh?"

"Angel is your dad, right?"  
"It's what mum says."

"Funny, you don't look anything like him."

"Mum says I'm still too young."

"How old are you?"

"Fourteen."

"Young. Very young. You look kinda older."

"It's what everybody says." Annie chuckled. "Now, I shouldn't be talking to strangers. Who the bleeding hell are you?"

"And you have your mother's spunk." The stranger looked at her and blue eyes sparkled in the night.

"The name's Spike."

End of Chapter


	68. The Catch

Chapter 67 The Catch 

**A/N: **Chapter sixty seven of the series. Anyone surprised?

**Disclaimer: **All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback: **Sure, as you wish.

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Outskirts of London, England

December 2017

Annie frowned and stared at the man standing in the moonlight. Had she heard correctly? Had he said his name was Spike?

"Uh, not to be rude or anything, but shouldn't you be dead or something?" Annie asked, connecting the dots and recognizing the vampire from hours earlier.

"I am dead, pet." Spike smirked. "Well, more like undead, but you catch my drift."

"Mum said da…, she said Angelus killed you." Annie's frown deepened.

"That he did." Spike shrugged. "Tricky bastard. Chopped off me own head from behind. A cheap shot."

"Right. See, that's were I get confused." Annie smirked. "From what I've read and seen, a vampire with no head equals a poof vampire, ergo a big pile of dust. You're not a big pile of dust, so, uh, what the hell?"

"One of the perks of playing with the big boys." Spike replied. "I'm notoriously hard to kill."

"Didn't he actually kill you?"

"It's all in the semantics." Spike shrugged. "I don't quite get it myself."

"And to what do I owe this talk?"

"You're an innocent in this conflict." Spike replied. "I may have to do things I didn't agree to, but murdering young children doesn't appeal to me anymore."

"Anymore?"

"Vampire, pet. Did kill many like you in my time. Maybe will have to again. You'll have to ask your mother about that one."

"What's my mum got to do with this?"

"From what I heard? She caused all this mess."

"Why?"

"For starters? Like me, she just won't stay dead."

"Comforting."

"Oh yeah. This world was shot to hell from some fuck ups caused by your parents."

"Both of them?"

"They like to do it right when they're screwing up."

"Wow, the daughter of champions." Annie smirked. "Not that I believe you, of course."

"Then don't. Just stay away from it all. I may very well be forced to slaughter all of you."

"My mum will stop you."

"Your father beheaded me, and yet here I stand." Spike said as he fished out a cigarette and lit it.

"That's disgusting." Annie frowned.

"Hey, it's not like I'm forcing you to light up one." Spike chuckled.

"Still, it's a disgusting habit."

"You sound so much like a girl I once knew." Spike frowned. "Or thought I did. Anyways, consider yourself warned. What will happen won't be pretty."

"Oh, and this past few hours have been what? A walk in the park?"

"Compared to what I'm going to do? Yup."

"You may have spooked everyone, but you don't seem so threatening to me." Annie crossed her arms.

"What, didn't you see what I did to Harris?"

"Who?"

"The bricklayer. That idiot Xander."

"That was you?" Annie's jaw almost fell. "You sodding idiot! You almost killed him!"

"Uh, not likely. The one I almost killed was a redhead. Don't remember her name."

"Vi."

"Something like that."

"How can you be so cold?" Annie asked. "I mean, I have never met a vampire before, but how can you be so… empty about it all?"

"Have my reasons."

"And you're standing there, the one who is supposed to kill us all, and you expect to have a civilized conversation with me?"

Annie let her instincts take over and she let go. She threw punches at Spike's face, and the surprised vampire smiled as he dodged every attack.

Spike blocked punch after punch as he analyzed her fighting style, recognizing some of Angelus' style, some of Buffy's and an unknown style, probably taught by someone else.

The vampire followed the dance for some time, until he grew bored and caught Annie's hands in his own.

"Now, now, pet, relax." Spike said, his grip tightening until it was painful. "I'm not here to hurt you."

"No, you're just here to kill every one I love."

"I'll do what I have to." Spike said as he let her go. "And I wonder, why are those turok han following you?"

"Like I'd really tell you." Annie said and spat on Spike's face. The vampire smirked and spat back. Annie squealed and made a face.

"Don't do to others what you wouldn't want them to do to you." Spike chuckled. "Now, why are you in command of vampires I released from hell?"

"I don't know." Annie growled. "You're hurting me."

"Oh. Sorry." Spike shrugged and let her go. Annie rubbed her wrists and shot Spike a dirty look.

"What are you doing here, anyways?" She asked.  
"Like to keep track of my enemy." Spike replied.

"You were going to attack while they were asleep?"

"Not my style." Spike replied. "I may have killed slayers but they all died while fighting. I never killed anyone on their sleep. I think."

"You think?"

"I have killed a gazillion people, pet." Spike shrugged. "I don't keep track of them all."

Annie looked away.

"That disturbs you?"

"I have never met someone like you." Annie replied. "You talk about what you've done without remorse or some sort of decency."

"So, my honesty offends you?"

"No." Annie shook her head. "I have read several volumes regarding vampires. I heard stories. I heard rumors. But it's never the same. It can't get you prepared. I never believed…"

"What? That we were practically animals? That we kill without remorse?"

"No. The soul thing." Annie stared defiantly into Spike's eyes. "I never gave too much importance to it. Seemed like a myth, like it made no difference. I stared into the eyes of animals and saw nobility there I thought had nothing to do with a bloody soul. But looking at you now?"

"Aw, I shattered your beliefs?" Spike mocked her. "Did I just ruin your views of morality? Does my very existence repulse you?"

"You're a monster."

"Well, duh. I am a vampire. It's what I'm supposed to be."

"But you retain the intellect of a man. You must know the difference between right and wrong."

"I do. As do you. But once you learn how things work, you realize there's no difference between what's right and what's wrong."  
"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Let me give you an example. A young boy is taught by his parents that beating other kids is wrong. That same kid is taught by his parents that every man must be a gentleman. In a controlled environment, the kid follows the rules and is a good boy. But outside this perfect reality, the kid interacts with other kids, who have different beliefs and points of view. One day, another kid hits a girl. The boy comes to a confusing dilemma. His morality tells him hitting a girl is wrong, and he wants to do something about it, but he can't stand for the girl without breaking the rule of beating other boys. What's right and what's wrong in there?"

"The kid could always talk." Annie spoke, believing she had seen right through the analogy.

"If it were so easy." Spike chuckled. "The boy has two options here. To let the other kids hit and bully a girl and follow what he was told, or break the rules, follow what he believes in and fight back. What's the right thing to do?"

"You're twisting things." Annie muttered, but she clearly remembered what she had done days ago, when she'd been in a very similar situation.

"So? Tell me. What is right and what is wrong?"

"There's a severe difference between standing up for someone and killing half a planet."

"See? That's where your biases appear. I must admit, there is a difference, a rather large one, but the concept is the same. What's right and wrong depends. Like beauty, it's all in the eye of the beholder."

"That's a pretty sick way of seeing things." Annie scowled.

"When you see the things I've seen, your view of the world changes." Spike said. "For instance, you took lives today, didn't you?"

"They were demons."  
"But demons are alive." Spike explained. "They are as alive as you and I, as the ant that walks or the flea that bites the dog. A life is a life. You took them because of this war."  
"It's…"

"It's not different, kid. Or what? The demons you killed walked, ate and breathed. They dream and fear like you and I do."

"I don't think you have much feelings."

"You are Buffy's daughter, aren't you? Brought up in the narrow views of the Council and their racist ways."

"Racist?"

"You practically told me you didn't consider murder what you did. That it didn't matter because they were demons. Let's see, ok? There are over two thousand bodies of demons out there rotting in the field. They kill to eat, but so do most of you humans. Those demons? They fought to fix something caused by humans, by your fucking needs and beliefs to be above it all. To feel better than nature and bend it to your benefit. Because you have the definition of right and wrong completely messed up!"

"Oh, and you have come to teach us? To guide us?"

"Of course not! I may have been human once, but nothing of that remains. I know how the world works. I know how the universe works, and I learnt the really bad way not to mess with it, just deal with it."

"That's not what heroes do." Annie defiantly said.

"Really? How many soddin' heroes do you know, kid?"

"My mum. My entire family."

"You'd be amazed at what your family has done and is capable of doing."

"You wouldn't know what they can do." Annie passionately said. "You could never even begin to understand what they are. You're just…beneath them."

Spike laughed out loud, the sound offensive to Annie's ears.

"You forget your place, little one." Spike said after the laughter died. "You forget I've been alive far longer than you have and you'll ever be. You forget I know your family more than you know, and have seen them in a way no one else will. You see what they want you to see. You've learnt what they want you to learn. Bet they didn't want you here at all, did they?"

"They are protecting me."

"From what I've seen, you don't need protection, sweet pea. It's my monsters the ones in need of protection from you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Your family knows what you are. They probably fear you as much as they love you. You can't expect normal humans to understand. They fear what they don't know."

"They love me."

"You tell yourself that." Spike smirked. "They don't know what you are, do they? You're not human and you're not a slayer, are you?"

"I'm as human as…"

"As who? As the Scooby gang? You've survived when slayers have died. There are vampires following you around. That's not quite human in my book, luv."

"Stop calling me that!"

"Struck a nerve? Hit on your insecurities?"  
"I'm beginning to understand why everyone hated you."

"Because I tell the truth?"  
"Because you manipulate it." Annie hissed. "Because you take something and twist it to your advantage."

That's right, kid. I'm very good at it, but you know I'm telling the truth."

"Your version of it."

"Maybe."

Annie didn't open her mouth anymore as she stared into cold eyes. After tense seconds, a deeper frown appeared on her face.

"Why haven't you tried to kill me?"

"I told you, I don't need to."

"What tells you I won't try to?"

"Because someone must have told you to stay away from me. Because I bet everyone who knew me warned you about me. And I guess that's confusing the hell out of you."

"No. I, I mean, yes, but…"

"You wonder how you managed to have a discussion with someone who's bent on killing your mum."

"No!"

"Listen, kid. For a strange reason, I seem to be attracted to you by some unknown force. Not in that way, you know, you are like a baby to me, but I may have seen you before somewhere. Don't know. I just wouldn't like to have to kill you."  
"Trust me, you won't."

"Trust me, if you get in my way, I will." Spike seriously said. "You saw what I did. You know what I can do. You heard what happened to me, and still I am here unnerving you."

"Who says you're unnerving me?"

Spike moved faster than Annie's eyes could see, and she found herself gripped by her neck and lifted clean off the floor.

"I can hear your heartbeat, sweet pea. I can hear your blood rushing through your body. I can see your pupils dilating and smell the sweat running down your body. I am a predator, kid. I know my prey. I know I scare you because you don't understand me and because you don't know what I can do. I scare you because I remind you of the way your family looked at you when they saw what you could do. I scare you because we're so damn alike."

"I am nothing like you."

"The only difference between you and me? You breathe."

Spike put her down carefully and let her go. Annie rubbed her throat and rolled her neck.

"Stay away from this fight, kid." Spike said. "Anyone who walks into it will be killed. I have to kill all slayers but one, and I have already chosen who will be the one slayer to be left walking around. I have an army to back me up, and I swear to you, no one will be safe once I choose to."

"We have an army as well."

"Let me tell you a secret." Spike smiled. "We have dragons."  
"Someone is taking care of them as we speak."

"Oh no, sweet pea. No one is taking care of them. They are laying low. They are waiting for my command."

"You're lying."

"Think what you want." Spike bowed down and began walking away. He hadn't taken more than five steps when he turned around.

"Do you like to read?" He asked. Annie frowned but nodded.

"You may want to bother the tight assed Giles about the Nibelungenlied."

"The what?"

"The Nibelungenlied. The ring of the Nibelung. Ask him about Sigfried."

Annie was confused, but she dared not to speak another word. The vampire had confused her completely, not because he had been killed hours ago, but because many things he'd said had hit home.

And what the hell did he mean with the Nibelwhatever?

"Annie?"

The girl turned around, and saw the one person in the entire world she felt could understand her.

"Aunt Dawn." Annie sighed. "I really need to talk to you."

End of Chapter.

**A/N2**: The Nibelungenlied is an epic poem in Middle High Germany. Saw a TV miniseries about it once, quite an interesting production and had the benefits of Kristanna Loken in it. Who is Ms. Loken, you say? You may have seen her in Terminator 3. Hot babe. Hard to miss.


	69. The White Rabbit

Chapter 68 The White Rabbit 

**A/N: **Chapter sixty eight of the series. One hundred and eighty eight pages, single spaced and counting. Thank you all who are still reading this. There's still some questions needing answers and answers needing explanations. Bear with me.

**Disclaimer: **All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback: **Sure, as you wish.

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Outskirts of London, England

December 2017

"What is it, honey?" Dawn Summers asked as she noted her niece a bit paler than usual. The young girl sighed and slowly stepped closer to her aunt until she found herself surrounded by her arms.

"Aunt? If I told you something, would you believe me?"

"You know I would." Dawn said, patting the girl's back. "What is it?"

"I saw a vampire."

Dawn frowned and noticed the remaining turok han patrolling the nearby area.

"Uh, care to be specific?"

"A strange one." Annie tested the waters, not wanting to blurt out the name and have her aunt freak. "He talked to me."

"What?" Dawn took Annie's head and softly pushed her away so they could stare into each other's eyes. "He didn't try to kill you right away?"

"No." Annie shook her head. "He just came to talk."

"Wow. Did you kill him?"

"Didn't have any weapons with me." Annie shrugged. "Didn't think I'd need them."

The girl pointed at the turok han and Dawn nodded, letting her heart beat return to its normal pace.

"From now on, I want you to be carrying a weapon all the time." Dawn said. "And if a vampire managed to pass through your own vampires, we should ring the alarm."

"No! I mean, no I don't think we'll have to. He, uh, he didn't come here to murder us in our sleep."

"Really?" Dawn asked, sensing something was amiss and her niece wasn't telling her everything. "Strange. What did he look like?"

"Oh, you know, like a vampire."

"Annie, almost all the vampires you have seen are those patrolling and Drusilla, who I must say doesn't look like a monster herself."

"He looked normal." Annie said, hoping she could at least buy some time before blurting out what she'd seen.

"Uh huh." Dawn said, and her brain raced and hope flared. "A vampire who came to talk to you and managed to get past your vampires. Honey, come on, if your father came to talk to you it's ok."

"No! It wasn't dad, I swear!" Annie said, not wanting to get things out of control. "I swear to you it wasn't him! He was, uh, someone else!"

"Annie, the only vampires who could get past those turok han are Drusilla, your father and…, and that's it. I know you wouldn't be so calm if it had been Drusilla, and you wouldn't be so talkative and so, well, so alive. I wonder what Angelus wanted. Maybe only wanted to mess with your head."

"It wasn't Angelus." Annie whispered. "It was that other vampire. The one with the bleached hair."

Dawn thought she'd heard Annie say 'bleached hair', but she knew she had imagined it. She'd heard Buffy and she knew her sister wouldn't joke about Spike or lie about him. Not anymore.

"Honey, Spike was killed by your father." Dawn cringed. "God knows I'd want him back more than anyone else, but he's gone. Poof."

"Well, someone who said his name is Spike, has a national accent, has bleached hair, two scars on his face and is wicked strong came here tonight."

Dawn felt her knees weak but she had to stay strong and cool headed to assess the situation.  
"Ok. Did he have blue eyes?"

"Yup."

"Very short temper?"

"Yup."

"Did he manage to get under your skin, disturb you and yet find true and hurtful aspects of your life?"

"Oh yeah."

"Shit." Dawn muttered and she had to sit down on the floor. Annie knelt besides her and waited patiently until her aunt recovered.  
"You ok, auntie?"

"Yes, sweet pea, I'm allright."

Annie frowned and Dawn looked at her questioningly.

"He called me that." Annie said. "Sweet pea."

"Really?" Dawn asked. "He used to call me that. And nibblet."

"You called me nibblet when I was a baby." Annie said. "That and bit, bite size and other ridiculous nicknames I don't want to remember anymore."

"He used to call me all those names." Dawn sighed. "He took care of me."

"That vampire?" Annie asked, her eyes as large as plates. "You've got to be bloody kidding me."

"Till the end of the world." Dawn repeated. "Even if that happens tonight."

"You also told me that."

"He said that to my sister." Dawn said. "When she asked him to protect me."

"Mum trusted him?"

"Sometimes." Dawn honestly replied. "I know I trusted him. I felt safe with him. He was my friend."

"No one talked to me about him." Annie said.

"His name is taboo." Dawn chuckled. "Your…, Angelus hates him. Xander and Giles hated him. Willow feared him. Tara…, Tara was the only one who didn't judge him."

"And mum?"

"There are things you'll learn when you're older, bit." Dawn said. "The world will stop looking black and white, and you'll see splotches of all colors you can imagine."

"Right or wrong." Annie muttered. "He said he knew you very well. All of you."

"He does." Dawn nodded. "He might be so dangerous to us because he knows us. He spent time with us. And we hurt him, more than anyone deserves to be hurt."

"What happened?"

Dawn thought about answering, when another thing flashed on her mind.

"Honey, you are absolutely and positively sure he said he was Spike, right?"

Annie nodded.

"We have to warn your mother." Dawn hopped and quickly stood up. "Spike will head directly against Angelus."

--------------------

Twelve minutes and forty four seconds later, the slayer, her sister and niece ran outside base camp, not knowing what was happening around them but wanting to receive some answers.

"Are you sure about this?" Dawn asked. Buffy nodded as she ran at a normal pace.

"From what you told me, seems Spike is here to stay. I saw him turn to dust, and if he's again on the battle field, he must have more answers and explanations."

"And, uh, not to be mean but why are we bringing Annie with us?"

"Spike won't kill him. Drusilla had her chance once and didn't kill her as well. I can deal with Angelus."

"I can take care of myself." Annie said. "And I now have weapons with me."

"And what if we don't get there in time?" Dawn asked, hating how she always seemed to be the one to think about everything. "What if…?"

"I don't think we'll be late." Buffy replied. "We know Spike has a tendency of not being very patient, but if he goes after Angelus I don't think it would be quick. Or pretty."

"What I really want to know is how the hell he got back." Dawn said. "You saw him turn to dust."

"It's the second time." Buffy sighed.

"Second time?" Annie asked. "There seems to be some history between the two of you. He referred to you by name."

"Wait a minute, did you two talk?" Buffy asked, now stopping dead in her tracks.

"Uh, yeah."

"God, that vampire really is unpredictable." Buffy frowned. "What did he say?"

"Like most of you, he wanted me out of this. Don't know what the fuss it's all about."

"Because you're fourteen years old, young lady."  
"I'm a few months shy of fifteen." Annie scowled. "Some of the slayers are that age."

"Some, but it's their calling, Annie. You're a schoolgirl."

"What calling? There were like a million of you guys, until that vamp started killing you."

Buffy flinched and soon her mind processed what she was doing. She knew Spike had killed Kennedy, had maimed Vi and was respected and feared by an army of thousands.

That, and he had been killed twice and had returned that many times.

"What is it mum?"

"I'm beginning to think this isn't such a good idea." The slayer replied. "We can't act out on impulses."

"Mum, from what I can see, this Spike guy is going to go for dad, or you or someone in my family. If there's a chance we can stop this without going all Lord of the Rings, then I'm all for it."

"You weren't even born when the first movie was done, why do you like them so much?"

"Duh. Violence, swords and handsome fellas?"

"You got a point. Anyhow, we may have to think what we're doing."

"Stopping a war without more bloodshed?" Dawn provided.

"That could be it."

"Or walking straight into the lion's den with steaks wrapped around our necks?"

"There's also that." Buffy chewed on her nails. "I played kick the Angelus a while, but he must have healed properly by now the worst injuries. Drusilla seems to be eerily sane, and Spike…, well, he's one of the best fighters I've met."

"We have the element of surprise."

"I don't think so." Buffy shook her head. "Spike has never been an idiot. If he talked to Annie he must have figured out we'd try to stop him from doing whatever stupid thing there's on his brain."

"Dad is tough. I don't think he'd be taken out by Spike."

"The last time those two fought Spike jammed red hot iron bars into your dad's chest." Dawn deadpanned. Buffy glared at her sister but didn't chastise her for telling Annie the truth.  
"That's true?" Annie asked.

"Oh dear, your father and Spike have some very disturbed history. They're the poster children for very dysfunctional families."

"They take that thing seriously? The family thing?"

"They did stick together for, what? Twenty years?"

"The records are murky but yeah." Dawn nodded. "Until Angelus was souled."

"Looks like we're wasting time." Annie said. "We should either continue with our original idea or go back."

"Dawn?"

"I'd say go." Dawn replied. "But that's me."

"Annie?"

"Green light."

"Fine, let's go."

The three women continued walking, set on trying to find a way to stop the madness.

--------------------------

Angelus sat down on the floor, the demons having brought several cheeseburgers to appease the hunger he was feeling, and downed it all with the cheap brandy brought along.

"Man, this feels good." Angelus burped and liked the burn left on his throat by the liquor.

"The night changed." Drusilla said as she appeared by his side and sat down on the floor next to him. She confused him more when she reached out and began taking small bites out of a cheeseburger as well.

"Now that's new." Angelus said, grimacing when he sat up straighter. "I don't think I've ever seen you eat anything at all."

"I like cheese." Drusilla said as she wiped her mouth. "And strangely enough, the smell is quite appealing."

"You continue to freak me out. Can't you go back to the insane blabbering?"

"Probably sooner or later." Drusilla replied as she finished her hamburger. "The events soon shall come to a boiling point."

"You seem to know more than you let on." Angelus said. "You saw it in a vision or what?"

"Or what. This endless night will soon fulfill its purpose."

"I like it. This night thing is actually cool."

"It has it's advantages." Drusilla smiled. "But it will soon end."

"There's no rush, is there? I mean, I never understood the gist of it all. What's the big deal, anyways? I mean, dead slayers is a plus, but all that balance rot?"

"It's beyond us." Drusilla said. "We're part of something larger now. Everything has its purpose and there have been reasons for all that's happened."

"And I finally killed Spike." Angelus said, smiling. "Been waiting ages to do that. Seemed he had died sometime ago, but he was brought back and I got my chance. That felt good."

"Sorry to burst your bubble, mate."

Angelus gasped and jumped, feeling his bruised ribs protest. He stared at Spike and couldn't believe what he was seeing.  
"What the fuck?"

"Hello to you too, Angel." Spike smirked. "Dru."

"Glad to have you back, William." Drusilla said. "Want a cheeseburger?"

"Sure thing, had me one, please."

Angelus felt he had been tricked and approached Spike, a murderous intent in his eyes. Spike's smirk turned into a smile and he quickly punched Angelus' face, effectively cutting whatever intention he might have had.

Angelus growled and rubbed his cheek, still too weak and hurt from Buffy's attack. He was breathing like an enraged bull but knew he was too surprised to think correctly.

"What the hell happened?"

"I have a job to do." Spike replied between taking bites off his cheeseburger. "Can't let anything as trivial as losing me head stop me."

"But, what the fuck!" Angelus repeated. "I took your goddamn head off! I saw you explode into dust! I killed you! I already killed you!"

"That you did. You killed me real good, Angel. Good one. Now, could you please shut up?"

"I won't shut up!" Angelus growled again, but common sense suddenly made him realize he had managed to get him whilst distracted and the opportunity could present itself again. "Right. Sucks to be me. Did you know Drusilla likes cheese?"

"Yeah." Spike nodded. "She loves fondue. She also likes chocolate and hates strawberries."

"The little seeds get stuck between my fangs." Drusilla offered.

"Seriously, that's so fucking weird." Angelus said. "Something is wrong with you two."

"More than you will ever know." Spike replied. "Now, I don't like it when someone strikes at me from behind. If you want to fight, go ahead and do it. Don't think I won't return if you kill me again."

"Come on, Spikey ol' boy, do you think I'd try again?"

"Of course. You're just biding your time." Spike said. "You know it. I know it. Dru knows it. Even the demons in the army know it. But be careful, Angelus. They may not be very bright but are loyal as hell. I bet they didn't take it too kindly when you killed me."

"Had to stop an uprising." Drusilla said, still sitting on the floor.

Angelus felt his blood boiling again but forced it down. He felt so humiliated that the demons followed orders from Drusilla and Spike instead of him. He had been a powerful vampire once and now was merely a pawn in a game he didn't understand.

"So, any crazy ideas you may have right now? Shove them back up that thick skull of yours and let me work, ok?"

"You should respect me, boy." Angelus growled. "You may be in charge of this army, but I am the elder one."

Spike laughed. "Elder? You do know where I went the first time I died, right? You spent some time there yourself."

"So?"

"Stayed there for thousands of years, Angelus. I am now older than you."

Angelus was about to reply when Spike sharply turned around and focused on a dark patch behind them. The vampire sighed and Drusilla stood up and growled.

"What?" Angelus asked.

"Should have known." Spike sighed. "Come out and play, slayer."

End of Chapter


	70. The Slayer In Me

Chapter 69 The Slayer In Me 

**A/N: **Chapter sixty nine of the series.

**Disclaimer: **All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback: **Sure, as you wish.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outskirts of London, England

December 2017

Buffy sighed and shook her head. She knew it was too much of a stretch of imagination thinking they might have been able to get closer to them. Dawn and Annie felt nervousness on the bottom of their stomachs and gripped the hilts of their swords harder. They knew they were about to face three of the four worst vampires in written history.

"And you're not alone." Spike said. "You brought the sweet pea with you. Not very clever, you know?"

Buffy walked into the moonlight, her sword ahead of hers.

"Ah, there you are. Why the weapon, luv? Came to see if I had returned from the dead?"

"You're already dead, Spike." Buffy replied. Spike smiled. Annie walked right behind into the light and Spike sighed. "What the hell are you doing here, bit?"

"Had to come."

"Too bad. And who's the third lady? Don't recognize the scent."

Dawn appeared and Spike closed his mouth. The fuzzy memories were those of a fifteen year old girl, not the beautiful woman standing there.

"Hi Spike." Dawn said, feeling as nervous as a girl.

"Dawn." Spike softly said. "You grew up."

"That's what happens when time passes." The woman replied.

Tense moments of silence appeared and Buffy couldn't take her eyes off Angelus.

"What's with the eyes, honey?" Angelus asked, maliciously grinning. "Can't take them off me?"

"I wonder what kind of sick impulses fuel you." Buffy replied. "Striking from the back? You poor, poor frightened creature."

Angelus chuckled and drank some more brandy.

"I did kill him, didn't I?"

"And he came back." Buffy replied. "Even though I don't know if that's a good thing."

"Oi, I'm here. There's no need to talk about me as if I wasn't here." Spike said. "Why are you here?"

"To see if you were back." Dawn said. "And to know if you do intend to carry out your threats."

"My, my, this is the most accurate dimension I've found." Spike said. "Seems the Spike in this dimension died as well, huh?"

"What?" Everyone but Drusilla asked.

"I mean, I haven't had to kill myself this time." Spike continued. "That sure messes up with my head."

"What…, what do you mean?" Buffy asked.

"Nothing, ignore me. Now, I don't think it's too convenient for you three to be here."

"Oh, I think it's very convenient." Angelus said before leaping at the distracted females. Annie and Buffy reacted in time, but Dawn was still too distracted by Spike's presence that she did not manage to move in time.

Angelus tackled her and both rolled on the ground. Buffy muttered a curse and leapt after her sister and husband, trying to avoid more deaths or any more tragedies. Annie didn't move, her eyes fixed on the two vampires not moving. She stared at Spike, whose blue eyes seemed to be fixed on her as well.

"You may want to go and help your aunt, kid." Spike said. "Angelus is a mad dog."

"I'm more concerned about you." Annie replied. "It's three against three, and I think you have the advantage."

"True, but we're not in the mood for murder right now." Spike dragged his feet as he reached over for the discarded bottle of brandy and took a swig off it.

"Bleargh. The cheap kind." He offered the bottle to Drusilla, who accepted and took a small sip, making a face when she swallowed the liquid.

"Agh. I never enjoyed this specific beverage."

"You preferred wine, if I recall correctly." Spike nodded.

"Red?" Annie asked, not knowing why she felt somehow comfortable with those two sociopaths.

"White." Drusilla replied. "Don't like red beverages."

The sheer insanity of the statement brought laughter and Annie forgot for an instant about the problems around and felt some peace.

However, the moment was short lived and she turned around, wondering what happened with her parents and aunt.

----------------------

Angelus and Dawn rolled on the ground.

His bigger size and weight helped him overpower Dawn momentarily, but the girl's own height and training helped and she kept them rolling, hoping to keep his mouth away from her.

To make things worst, she had dropped her weapon when her brother in law had tackled her, so now she only had the ever present stake held in her pants' waistband and her wits.

Feeling their momentum stopping, Dawn head butted Angelus and kicked him on the groin, eliciting a growl of pain and a sharp elbow to her face.

The blue eyed girl felt some teeth loosen and she tasted blood. She figured she had cut her mouth with her own teeth, and tried to refocus on the situation. Fortunately, her earlier assault had caused Angelus to let her go and assess the damage done to his tender parts. Dawn rolled once more and in a fluid motion stood up. She quickly sought Angelus' position and noticed how he was struggling to stand up.

Dawn wondered if she'd have to fight, but the choice was taken out of her control when Buffy appeared.

"Dawn! You ok?"

"Yeah, managed to get him off me."

"He didn't hurt you?"

"I'll be fine. What are we going to do?"

"Get him and put a soul back on him." Buffy said and cautiously walked towards Angelus. He was still doubled over on the ground and Buffy lifted her sword, not wanting to be caught off guard.

"Bitches." He hissed. "You'll suffer before dying, cow!"

"Wow, so charming." Dawn said. "Hurt the family jewels?"

Angelus snarled and faked a strike at Buffy. The slayer leapt back and kept her sword ahead of her.

"Come on, honey, don't be so cold." Angelus hissed. "Give me a kiss, ok?"

"Keep dreaming." Buffy grimaced. "Now, we're doing this the easy way or the hard way. Your choice."

"My choice?" Angelus said and pretended to give it a thought. "I know. Neither. Let's do it my way."

Angelus threw a punch at Buffy, which she didn't understand as he was out of hitting range, but then he opened his closed fist, and a bunch of dirt flew directly at Buffy's face.

"Gotcha."

Buffy felt the dirt enter her eyes and they closed instinctively. She tried to focus on Angelus' whereabouts and hoped not to be caught unprepared.

She had expected him to get closer to attack, but his tactics surprised her even more. Her enemy picked up rocks and threw them at her. One of such projectiles hit her in the head and she didn't know where was up and where was down. She fell and she let go of her sword. The pain in her eyes and in her head left her in an open for attack position, so she tucked and remembered her sister.

"Dawn! Get the hell out of here!"

-------------------

"Are those cheeseburgers?" Annie asked, feeling her stomach grumble at the mention of food.

"Yeah." Spike picked one up and tossed it at the girl. Annie caught it and quickly ate it.

"That's my kind of girl." Spike chuckled. "Not eating like a prissy lady."

"Hey, I'm hungry. Usually I'm much more reserved."

"It's ok. I'm hungry too." Spike said. Annie heard the words and a chill ran down her spine. Spike noticed and sighed.

"I told you I won't kill you. Dru here won't kill you as well."

"Yet." Dru offered.

"Yet?" Spike asked. "What?"

"She's my enemy." Dru said. "Yours is Angelus and the slayers. She is mine."

"She's just a girl, luv." Spike said.

"I know. That's why I waited."

"Huh?"

"We've met before." Annie said as she swallowed the last mouthful of cheeseburger. "She kidnapped me when I was nine."

"You kidnapped a girl?" Spike asked. "You didn't put her to play with Miss Edith, did you?"

"Miss Edith has been lost for years." Dru replied. "Had to see her."

"See her? What for?"

"She was supposed to be mine." Dru answered. "Ours. Now she is my enemy. She is my test."

"Whatever." Spike shook his head. "I don't care. I'll go see what the hell is happening down there."

Spike began walking and Annie lifted her sword and pointed at him.

"Sorry, can't let you go." She said.

"You can't stop me girl." He replied. "Plus, I think your real enemy is sitting back there."

Annie let her eyes look at Dru, and in that split second, Spike moved fast again and was gone before Annie turned her eyes back to him.

"Bloody hell! How does he do that?"

"He's had practice." Dru said, still sitting on the ground. "And he's always been fast."

Annie turned her sword towards the vampire, feeling an uneasiness creeping up her stomach.

"It's the burgers." Dru said, sensing her discomfort. "Too much grease."

"What?"

---------------

Dawn had been running as her sister had told her, but entirely for different reasons. She knew Angelus was a sick freak who enjoyed the thrill of a hunt, and Buffy was a sitting duck and would be easy prey for their enemy.

The woman stopped and turned around, thanking God for the full moon, giving her a clear view of the grounds around. She had ran almost inside the city again, some buildings still smoking and small fires dying out.

The city itself was a ghost town, no people running or talking, only alarms still going off in the vicinity.

Looking around, she wanted to keep an open path or an escape route, knowing Angelus was much more experienced in such events, but she had a plan.

If Buffy wanted the soul back in Angelus, so be it, and she would help.

"You should have kept running." Angelus said, making Dawn shiver. The woman turned and stared at him, searching for weapons or anything on his hands.

"No more dirt, see?" Angelus opened his hands and held them in front of him. "Don't have any other weapon with me. My bare hands will suffice."

Dawn pulled out the stake she had on and twirled it on her hands.

"Ohh, look at that. Slayer junior. Your sister taught you that?"

"Saw her do it enough times. It's not that hard." Dawn replied, then tossed the piece of wood as far as she could. Angelus frowned.

"We don't want you dead, you sick fuck." Dawn said. "We want to put that lovely soul back into you and watch you disappear into the darkest recesses of Angel's mind."

"Wouldn't count on that, bitch." Angelus hissed. "You know? I always had a soft spot for you. You seem like a great fuck, you know. Those long legs and that hair. Wanted to do you when you were young. Take the virginity of another Summers' woman, you know?"

"You pedophilic bastard." Dawn hissed back. "I wouldn't have come near you."

"Oh but you and your sister are very much alike." Angelus sneered. "It would have been so easy. Use the tortured and dark persona and you would have fallen for me. You would have spread your legs faster than Buffy did."

"One thing? You're so not my type. The brooding losers don't appeal to me."

Angelus growled.

"As much fun as this has been, I guess it's time to end this."

Angelus leapt at Dawn, hoping to get her and have some time with her alone before her sister arrived.

In slow motion, as Angelus was still on the air, Buffy appeared, her eyes still full of tears but clear now.

The slayer saw her husband on the air, heading directly towards her immobile sister.

Her mind cried out for her, wanting the woman to move out of the way.

What happened next shocked both Angelus and Buffy.

Dawn swatted Angelus aside with her hand, almost as if he were a fly, sending him flying against a battered building.

Dawn smirked.

"Surprised?"

End of Chapter.


	71. Hot Shots Part Deux

Chapter 70 Hot Shots Part Deux 

**A/N: **Chapter seventy of the series.

**Disclaimer: **All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback: **Sure, as you wish.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outskirts of London, England

December 2017

Dust exploded into the air as Angelus' limp body crashed against the building.

Buffy stared, wide eyes, at her sister and the seemingly effortless way she had swatted their enemy aside.

"What the…?"

Dawn wiped her hands on her clothes and walked towards her sister.

"How are your eyes?" The blue eyed woman asked. Buffy didn't answer and instead stared at her sister, not recognizing her.

"Didn't mom tell you it was rude to stare?"

Buffy shook her head and rubbed her red eyes. She figured she had been imagining things and Angelus had miscalculated his leap or Dawn had simply moved aside or something.

But Dawn came from the north, at least twenty five feet away from where Angelus had landed.

"What…? How?"

Dawn smiled and looked into her sister's eyes.

"Made of you, Buffy. Blood of your blood. Bones of your bones. Part of your spirit. More like a clone than a sister."

Buffy kept her eyes open, not fully understanding what was happening to her sister.

"Buffy, you are a slayer. You were a slayer when the monks made me out of you. You can use your brain and see the next logical step, wouldn't you?"

"When?"

"About a year or two ago." Dawn replied. "It's obvious, if you think about it. The power of the slayer awoke in you when you were fifteen. I may look like a thirty year old, but I have only been in this world for almost seventeen years. Looks like my body had to be strong enough in this dimension in order to let go of the power in it."

"Oh my God. I'm so sorry Dawnie. So sorry."

"What? Why?"

"This power brings so much tragedy with it." Buffy said. "I never wanted that for you. When the power was shared I was glad you weren't a potential."

"I am part of you, Buffy. It was no surprise when it happened."

"I don't want this for you."

"What? The power? The strength? The security it provides?"

"What about the pain and suffering it has brought into my life?"

"Pain and suffering?" Dawn grimaced. "The best things of your life have happened because you're a slayer."

"The best things? What about me dying?"

"What about me?" Dawn asked, feeling honestly hurt. "If you hadn't been the slayer, I wouldn't have been your sister. I would have been Kendra's or Faith's. That idiot back there? The love of your life? You wouldn't have met him if you weren't the slayer. What would you be if you weren't what you are?"

"I would have led a normal life." Buffy snapped. "The kind of life you've led."

"My God, what are you, retarded?" Dawn shouted. "You bitch and bitch about how unfair life is to you, but I remember your lame attempts at normalcy."

"What normalcy?"

"Commander Finn back there." Dawn replied. "Captain Cardboard. I am a slayer now, Buffy. How did you do it?"

"How did I do what?"

"Stop you from breaking him. Showing him the real you. The woman and the slayer together. Guess I know now why you were always so cranky around him."

"Don't talk about that!" Buffy blushed.  
"And that lovely stint at the Doublemeat Palace? Your attempt at being a regular girl working from 9 to 5? What that did to you and your spirit?"

"That was because…"

"Because your friends ripped you out of heaven, we know!" Dawn's anger turned into sadness. "But I didn't know back then. Spike didn't as well. And you ripped us apart because we didn't. We paid because you were miserable. We paid because you weren't normal and you were trying to. Because our friends didn't need the normal girl to go on, but the slayer."

"They missed me."

"They were like headless chicken!" Dawn shot again. "Buffy, you gave reasons to us all, but diametrically opposed. Willow needed you to have a personality. Xander needed you to escape the sadness of his own life. Tara was too immersed in Willow to give a shit, as well as Anya. God, you never wondered why Giles, Spike and I never knew about it?"

"I…"

"Because we didn't ask anything you couldn't give, Buffy." Dawn sadly said. "Because we loved you for what you were, we loved you because you were Buffy. Because Giles saw a daughter, I saw family, and you know what Spike saw."

"What…?"

"So yes, being a slayer has had its drawbacks, but there have been many more things you have done because you're more than normal. You are special, Buffy, you could have never been normal."

Buffy hugged herself and looked away.

"Tel me you could live without it." Dawn offered. "Tell me you could let it go now. I don't mean the physical power, but the calmness it brings. Tell me you could let it go and take the tube at 2 a.m. without worrying what could happen to your 5'3'', 100 lbs. body if you weren't a slayer?"

"You're twisting things to your advantage."

"I'm just saying being a slayer is a gift, Buffy, not a curse. I don't know why you always feel the need to feel miserable about everything."

Loud clapping was heard from behind both women and they turned to find Spike sitting on the debris over Angelus, his hands together and a smile on his face.

"Wonderful. Such drama between sisters. Loved the part when you complain about her bitchin' around."

"Shut up, Spike." They said at the same time.

"Wait, where's Annie?" Buffy asked, not seeing her daughter around.  
"She's with Dru." Spike said as he hopped off the ruins.

"Dammit." Buffy muttered.

"Don't think she'll do anything to the bit." Spike shrugged. "She just ate cheese. She'll be in a good mood for an hour or two."

The sisters looked at each other, not knowing if what they'd heard was true or Spike was messing with them.

"Where's the poof?" Spike asked, looking around.

"He may be trying to cave his way out from there." Dawn said, pointing to the debris in which Spike had been sitting.

"What happened? The slayer got him?"

"Something like that." Buffy muttered. Spike narrowed his eyes and looked at Dawn.

"So that's what I was feeling back there." He smacked his head. "Your sister has already turned into a slayer clone herself."

"You knew?"

"It's kinda obvious. That whole made out of you shit."

"See?" Dawn asked. Buffy grimaced, not liking being outsmarted.

"Now. That puts you on even terms with me, doesn't it?" Spike asked.

Dawn gasped and realized what he was saying.

"I don't think it'd be so easy to kill both of us." Dawn replied. "Maybe you could take on one. But two?"

Spike stretched and cracked his neck.

"We won't know until we try, won't we?"

Buffy looked around, not liking what was happening. Things were slowly spiraling out of control.

"We didn't come for that." She said. "I want to know where you've been all these time."

"Boy, are you slow or what?" Spike clicked his tongue. "Haven't you been paying attention?"

"Angel spent time in hell and returned as an animal." Buffy replied. "You seem very normal to me."

"I don't think I ever compared you to anyone else:" Spike said. "You could return the courtesy."

Buffy felt shame color her cheeks and had to look away. Spike always managed to get her nervous and could say the exact things to make her uncomfortable.

"She's got a point." Dawn said. "You don't seem to be very crazy and stuff."

"Then we've got different definitions of the word." Spike shrugged. "By the way, you may have to wait a bit."

Spike turned his back on them and patiently waited for something to happen. The women frowned but understood when Angelus finally climbed out of the rubble.

"That was not fun." He coughed. "When did the annoying brat become a super heroine?"

"Don't be daft, Angelus. It was bloody obvious."

"What?"

"The kid was made out of a slayer, then…?"

"No one expects that!" Angelus snapped. "We've already got one stuck up bitch with a superiority complex, we don't need a second part!"

"When I'm through there won't be." Spike said. "Now, about being through…"

The vampire surprised them all by picking up a piece of debris and slamming it against Angelus' face. The impact shattered the rock and Angelus was thrown against the ground. Spike began whistling as he slowly approached Angelus and kicked him swiftly in the injured ribs.

Angelus howled and Spike chuckled.

"Hey, you beheaded me and I didn't scream. Be brave, Angelus."

Dawn and Buffy looked again at each other, not knowing what they should do.

The decision was quickly made when Spike knelt besides Angelus, picked him by the neck and began punching him, sending blood flying everywhere.

"We can't let him kill him." Dawn said. "Even though it's tempting."

"I said we'd put the soul back." Buffy nodded. "My girl needs her father."

"Uh, about that…"

"She'll need him after she learns the truth." Buffy softly said. "She'll have questions I fear she'll only find in him."

"God, suddenly this war seems very simple."

"That it does." Buffy nodded. "Let's go save him."

The two girls ran towards their two enemies, reaching them as Spike was using a large metal rod to smash Angelus skull in.

Sensing the two slayers, Spike stopped mid swing and turned to look at them.

"Can I help you?"

"Get off him." Buffy said. "He will pay for what he's done, but not like that."

"The bloke killed me. I think I have something to say about what happens to him."

"We know. But we believe the worst punishment can be put his soul back on him." Buffy said.

"Then we disagree on the definition of several words." Spike chuckled. "Let him try a few thousand years in hell and then we can discuss about reasonable punishment."

Buffy and Dawn cringed, but they had already decided.

"He's part of our family…"

"He's an animal!" Spike roared. "He's an egotistical bastard! He's done far too much damage and has to pay!"

"He will pay!" Buffy said as she pulled Spike's shoulder, throwing him off Angelus. "But in here, where he has the most damage! He'll be forced to live forever inside Angel's mind, unable to do a thing!"

"You silly blind bitch." Spike chuckled. "You must be very crazy or very stupid."

The vampire stood up and growled, letting his vampire face come forth.

"I should tell you things, little woman. Tell you things that would make you see how wrong you are. How blind you've been. How stupid you've been."

"And you're going to show me?" Buffy said, pointing her sword at him. "Feel free to try."

"Throw that stupid thing away." Spike growled. "I know you're mostly brain dead but she's not. Tell her what will happen if you kill me."

Dawn frowned but her mind began processing the information.

"Why do you come back?"

"That's what you want to know, right?" Spike growled. "That's why you're here. To try to understand something that isn't meant to be understood."

"We'll fix things in our own way…"

"No you won't!" Spike's growl interrupted Buffy. "You are so narrow minded! You don't see what's there to see! I will fix this the way I know and the way I've done for so long! You won't stop me!"

Spike punched Buffy in the face, but unlike before, the impact was far stronger, similar to a slayer's strength. Her face reeled back and Spike viciously kicked her on the stomach. The air left her lungs and he grabbed her head with his hands, lowering it until he met it with his knee. Blood poured from her mouth and nose and he gripped her head harder.

"I could snap your neck right now, fucking bitch." Spike hissed. "But you've been a bloody thorn in my side for too long."

"Let her go!" Dawn said as she slammed her fist into Spike's neck. The vampire let go of her sister and leapt at Dawn. He felt the sword enter his stomach but he didn't care, his eyes amber and his fangs searching blood. He tackled Dawn into the floor and punched her back.

"Why? Why won't you stop interfering!"

Spike howled as his hands hissed and began smoking. Rolling around, he plucked the sword out of his stomach and licked the blood on the blade.

"You are such nuisances." He said, forcing the mask to appear. "I'm tired of it all."

The vampire walked back towards Angelus, who was trying to crawl out of there, his face bruised and hurting.

Spike stopped him by placing his boot on Angelus' back, pushing him down.

"And you, I have done this many times, and it always brings a smile to my face."

Spike lifted the sword and brought it down hard.

In the corner of his eye, he saw a blur of movement and then felt the sword impact against another metal blade.

Looking up, he met eyes as blue as his and growled.

Annie stood next to him, her sword stopping the deadly blow against Angelus.

"He may be a jerk, but he's my father."

End of Chapter.

**A/N2:** Hot Shots Part Deux is a comedy movie released back in '93. One hell of a good movie. The foundations of what today is Charlie Sheen in Two and a Half Men.


	72. In The End

Chapter 71 In The End 

**A/N: **Chapter seventy one of the series.

**Disclaimer: **All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback: **Sure, as you wish.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outskirts of London, England

December 2017

"Can't anyone kill in peace in this town?" Spike growled and stood back, looking still at Annie.

"And you. What the fuck is it with you that I don't want to kill you?"

"I don't know, but I won't let you kill my father." Annie replied.

Spike growled like an injured animal, but kept his sword down. He turned back and stared at the slayers he had injured.

"Take your offspring and get the hell out of here!" He shouted. "I'm tired of you all! Of this world and everybody in it! This ends now!"

Spike closed his eyes and muttered something in a language that was ancient before the old ones had been born, and the rain clouds disappeared, leaving the moon looking a bit red.

"What did you do?" Annie asked.

"What had to be done." Spike growled. "You seem to be so intent on doing the right thing. Fine! But let's see how you do it if the world goes down in flames!"

"Oh no." Annie understood. Looking up, she saw why the dragons had not finished their job.

Because Spike hadn't ordered them to.

Feeling the small hairs on the back of her neck rise when the dragons growled, Annie ran towards her mother and aunt, wondering what they had to do.

A strange feeling struck them, the missing sixth sense needed for the slayers to survive suddenly returned to every slayer on the battlefield.

Gasps and yelps were heard all over the slayers' camp, a horrible truth revealed, the true extent of their enemy now a present reality on the back of their heads.

Annie gasped, not having felt something similar in her entire life. Her mother and aunt felt the incessant buzz in the back of their heads, anxiety rising and a spell of dizziness assaulting them.

"Now go." Spike growled. "Let me do whatever I have to. It doesn't matter anymore who kills you. When the dragons finish their job I will strike down those who are still standing."

"No!" Buffy shouted. "You can't do this! You were one of the good guys! You can't kill all of us and half the planet!"

"Why not!" Spike shouted back. "Why can't I!"

"Because it's wrong!" Annie shouted as well. "Because this is all so bloody wrong I can't even begin to understand it! Slayers are heroes! They help!"

"I will not lose time with you." The vampire growled and turned around, his hand over his stomach, trying to stop the flow of blood and other fluids outside of his body.

"No you won't!" Annie snapped and ran after him. Buffy and Dawn reacted a split second too late and sprinted after her.

Spike passed by the unconscious Angelus and sneered at him.

"Don't think I've forgotten about you." Spike hissed. "Until later, old dog."

Annie spared a moment's glance at her father's state and grimaced when seeing the bruises and blood around, but she cleared out of her head when she tackled Spike from behind.

The vampire had been so immersed in his thoughts that, much like the slayers before, hadn't felt his own daughter approach and when he tried to react it was too late.

Annie's unchecked leap threw them against a brick wall to their left. They shattered right through it and went down a burnt wooden floor into a small basement, a 20 feet drop.

Buffy stared at the couple smash into the burnt structure and saw several amounts of dust appear. She ran faster and as the both of them reached the broken wall they noticed the hole on the floor.

"Shit. They went all the way down." Buffy hissed. She was about to jump when she noticed the dragons approaching. Spike hadn't been lying, and they were bathing the already destroyed city in more flames. The slayer turned to look at her sister, and then at the place where her husband's prone body lied.

She saw the blood stained ground but saw no more of her enemy.

The choice removed from their hands, they leapt into the hole as brimstone and fire filled the air.

---------------

Spike growled as he stood up and quickly leapt for Annie, grabbing her with his right hand and picking her up clean off the ground, slamming her into one wall in the darkened basement.

Annie yelped and began coughing as she could only inhale dust and felt pain as a cold grip closed around her trachea.

"What the fuck is wrong with you people!" Spike yelled, his eyes glowing yellow in the dark. "Why can't you accept what is so plain to see? Why must you meddle in what does not concern you?"

Annie coughed, beginning to feel desperation crawl over her spine and she weakly kicked Spike's torso, willing him to let her go.

Spike growled and stared at the girl in front of him, her own hands around his right hand, clawing at him and her small feet kicking his chest in a futile attempt to survive. Even in the dark, he could clearly see her features and the look of fear in her face.

But it wasn't of terror or acceptance. It was a look of fear mixed with the fierce determination of wanting to live, something he had seen before in similar blue eyes.

Feeling his own anger diminish, Spike's grip on Annie's neck loosened and he slowly let her go. Annie fell to the ground, coughing and grabbing her already bruising throat, oxygen and dust burning its way into her lungs.

"Why can't I kill you?" Spike asked as he too tumbled down into the floor and ran his hands through his hair. "What is wrong with me?" He sighed and shook his head.

"I couldn't let you kill him." Annie said, feeling her voice raw. "He's my dad."

"It doesn't matter." Spike said, his hands over his face. "It doesn't matter. You will always love him more. He will always be the best."

"What?"

"Nothing." Spike replied, standing up. "I don't know what's the matter between you and me, but if I can't kill you, I'll let the dragons out there do it."

"They will kill you too." Annie said, her hands covering her damaged neck. "You are vulnerable to fire."

"Didn't you notice? If I die I will come back."

"You seem awfully sure of it."

"I am sure." Spike snapped. "And I can't waste any more time with you."

Spike turned around and began walking away, looking for a way to get out of the basement. Looking up, she saw the hole in the upper level, the smoke thick and fire barely visible through the darkness.

"We won't be able to get out through there."

Spike growled and took a swing at the darkness, his left fist smashing in its entirety against Annie's cheekbone, sending the teen flying through the air and crashing against a supporting beam. The girl's body flew right through the pillar and landed a good ten feet away.

Seeing what he had done, Spike sighed and again ran his hands through his hair.

'So much for not wanting to kill you.' He thought.

Looking up again, he tried to come up with a clever idea as of how the hell he could get out of there without being half charred or killed again.

But instead of losing time looking up, he instead looked down and tried to find a way to get to the sewers.

A futile attempt, since they had crashed into a normal, modern home, with no open plumbing or secret doors leading to underground tunnels.

A creak behind him made him turn back as small rocks and dust began falling on his head. His eyes followed the noise and soon fell on the support beam Annie's body had shattered. Realizing the roof was about to cave in, Spike's mind began working at high speeds.

The roof was providing him with protection from the deadly flames above, but it could come down with such force that maybe it could provide another way out for him.

Or maybe it could crush him to death, along with the slayer's daughter.

Cursing, he knew he only had time for one motion, and his body reacted far differently from what his mind had agreed was the best logical choice.

The roof finally gave in and it went down with a loud crack, sending more dust flying everywhere. Bricks and rocks and wood tumbled down, aided by gravity itself, directly towards the unconscious Annie.

A few pounds of debris had fallen on the blonde girl when the body of the vampire covered her and rolled together until they tumbled against the nearest wall. The entirety of the floor crashed violently against the basement, ironically providing Spike with the exit he had imagined moments before.

--------------------

"Dammit! I hate dust!" Dawn said, as she struggled to stand up, having fallen on something hard and metallic.

"You're the lucky one." Buffy moaned. "I landed on pure stone."

"Yeah right, like the metal in my lower back feels so good after free falling." Dawn replied.

"Right. Now, let's see where we are and were my daughter is."

"They can't be too far." Dawn said, waving her arm up and down trying to dissipate the smoke gathering in the basement. "And we tumbled into the largest stupid basement in all London."

"It's that or the smoke is getting thicker." Buffy said. "Still, I can feel them in here."

A loud crash made them jump, and something cold settled in Buffy's stomach.

"Shit."

"What is it?" Dawn asked.

"Something bad just happened." The slayer replied and carefully walked towards where she felt the vampire and her daughter. "One of those two lost it."

"Sounded serious."

"Really serious."

The two sisters made their way through the darkened basement until small rock pebbles began to fall on their heads.

"Uh, Buff? Are you feeling that?"

"They must have destroyed a pillar or a wall." Buffy muttered. "We have to hurry!"  
They hadn't taken two steps when the roof finally gave in and they sought the nearest cover beneath the same table Dawn had landed on. The falling debris shattered the floor and they tumbled down into the stinking waters of the sewers running beneath.

Dawn gagged and threw up when she found herself with a mouthful of disgusting water and felt she would choke in the darkness. Buffy, on the other hand, tried to protect them both keeping the very damaged table above their heads, deflecting the larger pieces of floor and roof still falling over them.

"God! I'm throwing up things I ate in kindergarten, what the fuck is in here?" Dawn coughed as she finally lifted her head from the sewage.

"You ok?" Buffy asked. "Besides the throwing up thing?"

"Besides that, yeah."

"Great. Now, where the hell are we?"

"Still in the same place, just a bit to the south."

"I know that. What I meant was is this the sewers? Tunnels?"

"Sewers. The tube doesn't get this far."

"Right. Use your radar thing and find your daughter."

Buffy nodded and concentrated for a second, quickly finding her daughter.

Or so she thought.

"Shit."

"What is it?" Dawn asked, not seeing her sister's frown.

"I can feel them, but at the other side of this pile of rocks blocking our way."

"There's a pile of rocks?"

"The building almost caved in." Buffy sighed. "She's on the other side."  
"And Spike?"

"He's there as well." Buffy sighed. "They must me unconscious. I can't feel any movement."

"I'm still pretty new with this slayer spidey sense, but is Spike supposed to feel like that?"

"Like how?"

"Like all weird and like a black hole?"

"No." Buffy admitted. "That's new. Uh, I could always find out if he was around."

"The vampire thing or a Spike thing?"

"A Spike thing." Buffy honestly replied.

"Very well. Let's now try to get to them." Dawn said, and then remained in silence, thinking about something.

"What is it?"

"Angel wasn't there."

"I know. But we can't worry about him now. We have to get my daughter out of there."

-----------------

Annie slowly returned to the land of the living, feeling the room spinning and something raw and disgusting on the back of her throat.

Slowly sitting up, Annie rubbed her head and clenched her teeth, feeling her jaw ache and a few teeth loose. Retracing the last moments she remembered, she realized the vampire must have attacked her while she was still in the middle of the air after leaping. What she thankfully didn't remember was the brutal impact and the subsequent crash against the support beam, which was why a couple of her ribs felt like they were floating around.

Finally opening her eyes, she was regarded with almost complete darkness, save for a few rays of light and two decidedly unnatural dots of light floating around.

Only they weren't floating around, and they weren't dots of light.

"Can you close your eyes?" Annie asked, guessing they were Spike's demon eyes. "It's bloody freaking me out."

"Have to use them to see." Spike replied, feeling somewhat amused at Annie's comments. "How you feelin', kid?"

"After you used me as a punching bag? You don't get to ask me how the hell I'm feeling."

Spike chuckled and shook his head. If that was the way the kid wanted to play, he would gladly oblige. Trying to ignore her and the smell of blood coming off strong from the girl's injuries, he looked around, searching for a way to get out of the current mess he was into. They had landed on a sewage tunnel, and there weren't any indications of a ladder around. Maybe he could leap high enough to reach the edges of what had once been a floor, but he doubted he'd find something stable enough to hold on to.

"What are you doing?" Annie asked, her curiosity winning over.

"So you want to talk after all, huh?" Spike said, seeing the various debris surrounding them. He walked to where he could see faint cracks on the wall, and discovered the barricade that separated him from the slayer and Dawn.

"Are you going to answer?"

Spike sighed and kept inspecting the wall. Maybe if he punched and pulled for a while he'd tear down the sudden wall, but it'd be a waste of time and energy. He instead went to the other end of the dark tunnel, ignoring the annoying child calling out to him, until moments later the girl stopped talking.

Spike stopped walking, and took a moment or two to check on the girl. Something inside of him jumped when his brain told him the kid could have died from injuries received while tumbling down or maybe she'd fallen unconscious again and she'd drown on the sewage.

Shaking his head and hitting himself on the forehead, Spike growled and kept walking until he hit metallic bars and saw the faint trace of light on the far side.

Spike smiled and figured out it'd be a lot quicker and faster to tear down the metal bars.

-----------------------

"Are you going to answer?" Annie asked again, not liking being alone in the dark with someone who could knock her out with one punch. If she was honest with herself, she was completely freaked out and a bit scared.

Or maybe it was the other way around, and she was a bit freaked out and completely scared.

She fell silent and tried to think, knowing she hadn't tumbled into hell and was more likely sitting in the lovely water of the sewers of London. Avoiding a yelp and finally noticing the distinctive odor, she jumped up and tried to ignore the dripping droplets running down her back.

She forced herself to calm down and took deep breaths, which weren't very helpful at all, as her stomach protested and she felt the need to retch right there.

'Why not? We're already in the sewers.'

Doubling over, she let her stomach spasm and the earlier cheeseburger found her way back into the world.

Coughing, cleaning her mouth and feeling decidedly better, Annie focused again and tried to find a way out. She had been listening to the steps taken on the water, and had stopped a few moments ago.

There was another noise on the other side of the dark tunnel, where the rocks seemed to be moving or crumbling. Fearing another avalanche of debris, Annie decided to go with the lesser of two evils, and followed the noises of water.

As she took two steps, the rocks behind her gave in and another wave of rocks crashed down. Annie leapt back and more dust and sewer water flew into the air. Annie yelped and covered her face, expecting the roof to fall into her head.

But moments went by and the tunnel stood, letting Annie open her eyes and notice a few more rays of light coming from the wall of rocks.

That, and familiar voices.

"Stop pulling rocks! The whole thing is gonna crumble down!"

"And how do you suggest I should move this? Go for a brush and a spoon and remove pebble by pebble?"

"Now that's a cheap shot."

"Well, stop complaining and start helping!"

"Mum? Auntie Dawn?" Annie asked, smiling as she recognized the voices.  
"Annie? Oh my God, are you ok?" The slayer asked.

"Yeah, I'm ok. You?"

"We both are ok. What is going on over there?"

"I don't know. I can't see that much."

"Is Spike there?"

"No." Annie muttered, hearing now metal being bended. "He's getting away."

"Good. Let him go. Help us from the other side, honey, and we'll find a way to get out of here together."

Annie nodded but she turned around back to where she heard the metal twisting. She figured out the vampire had found a way to get out, and she was feeling very curious about the bleached headed vampire.

Looking back, she heard more rocks being pulled away and knew she wouldn't be able to wait for her family without losing track of Spike.

A decision was quickly made.

"Mum?" She said into the darkness. "I'm sorry, but I have to follow him."

"No! Honey, stay where you are. Wait for us!"

"I'm sorry." Annie muttered. "There are things I have to find out by myself."

"Annie, no!" Buffy pleaded, hearing the serious tone of her daughter. "Don't you dare move!"

"I know what happens if I don't listen to you." Annie said. "But you know I'll be ok, won't you? You can feel it as well as I do."

Buffy cursed in her mind, knowing very well Annie was starting to feel the same security Spike had once made her feel.

"Annie, please." She begged.

Annie heard her mother, but there was something in her calling out for the disappearing vampire.

"I'll go back to you, mum. I swear." Annie said as she began walking away. "I swear."

"Annie, for God's sake, stop!" Buffy shouted, feeling in her mind how her daughter was slowly getting away. "Please wait for me!"

"Auntie Dawn?" Annie asked, and the two women on the other side of the wall could hear her voice now further into the tunnel.

"Please, Annie, wait for us." Dawn said, pulling at the rocks as hard as her sister did.

"He said something about a ring of the nibelsomething."

"The ring of the nibelungs?" Dawn asked, remembering having read or seeing something about it.

"He mentioned it, the vampire." Annie said. "Could be helpful."

"Thank you honey, not please wait for us there." Dawn replied. The two sisters waited for an answer, but only silence greeted them.

"Annie?" Buffy asked, trying to keep the fear off her voice. "Answer me, honey, please."

But there was no response.

Annie had already left.

End of Chapter.

**A/N2:** In The End is a song by Linkin Park, released on their Hybrid Theory Album. Good song, although got heavy rotation on the radio and on Music Television. Does anyone out there remember what it was like when there were only videos on MTV?


	73. Twenty Questions

Chapter 72 Twenty Questions 

**A/N: **Chapter seventy two the series.

**Disclaimer: **All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback: **Sure, as you wish.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Somewhere beneath London, England

December 2017

Spike whistled as he walked through the sewers.

The vampire had no idea where he was going, but he had no rush or need to get into the surface. The dragons were probably still bathing the city in flames, and his job would be so much easier if he waited and just cleaned up after.

Still, the stench was something that had been getting to him, but he merely stopped breathing and that was it.

A noise behind him made him stop and turn around. He sighed and stared at the tunnel, knowing exactly who it was, he didn't even need to see to know who his follower was.

"You got a death wish, pet?" Spike asked as Annie appeared on his field of sight. "Is it something you inherited from your mother?"

"I don't want to die." Annie said, trying to breathe through her mouth. "I want to know if there's something I can do."

Spike frowned.

"Do about what?"

"About this." Annie spread her arms. "About the attacks. About you, my mum and the slayers."

Spike shook his head, figuring out the girl's eyes had already grown used to the darkness and could see his silhouette at the least.

"You're pretty stubborn, you know?" Spike replied. "In all the places I've been, I had never found you."

Spike turned around and continued his careless walk, kicking a few rocks and cans out of the way. Annie sighed and immediately wished she hadn't, because she instinctively closed her mouth and took a breath through her nose, the horrid stench assaulting her.

"Great." She muttered. "Gotta stop doing that."

The girl hurried to catch up with the vampire, hoping to learn something more that could be useful to them. As she fell into step with him, she looked up at him, and realized he wasn't that tall. If she kept growing like she had, she could easily reach his height or even surpass him. Aunt Dawn was at least as tall as he was, and if she wore heels, she might very well be an inch or even two taller.

"What are you looking at?" Spike growled.

"Auntie Dawn is as tall as you." Annie said, her mouth working before her brain.

"That so? Haven't checked." Spike said. "God, the smell keeps getting worse."

"I know." Annie nodded. "You at least don't have to breathe."

"But to talk to you I have to." Spike said. "Now, remind me why I shouldn't kill you?"

"I have no idea." Annie replied. "You've had plenty of chances. You and your girl."

"What girl?"

"Drusilla."

"Ahh. She doesn't want to kill you."

"She seemed to want to fight me."

"Maybe that she does." Spike chuckled. "But I don't think she wants to kill you."

"I guess you're right." Annie softly said. "You two could have already done it."

Spike nodded and kept walking, feeling strangely at peace with the girl at his side.

"Where do you go, when you get killed?" Annie suddenly asked.

"Back."

"Back where? To hell?"

Spike nodded, knowing Annie could see it.

"Is it awful?"

"It's not called hell because it's fun, pet." Spike chuckled. "Of course it's awful."

"If you were there, then…?"

"How come I'm here, right?" Spike finished. "Well, who says I'm out of it?"

"What?"

"I spent ages there." Spike revealed, not fully understanding why. "Lost sense of time. Lost the need to keep count. Lost all sense of self and notion. Then, guess what? I was back in Sunnyhell trying to kill the slayer. Sent me for a bloody loop, there."

"Wait. You were in hell and then you were, uh, where?"

"Sunnyhell. The hell mouth? Sunny Cali?"

"Ahh, Sunnydale." Annie chuckled. "Mum doesn't call it Sunnyhell."

"Whatever. I was there, and then one of your annoying dead friends appeared and told me something was wrong and I had to fix it."

"Huh."

"Of course, I didn't know at the time what the fuck was going on. I had been very crazy and utterly destroyed in hell and then they expected me to get on with the program. I didn't even remember how to talk or what English sounded like."

Annie cringed and suppressed the need to shiver.

"So, the annoying chit keeps telling me what to do, but all I could understand was that there was no more rain falling from the sky. And guess what? There were walking meals surrounding me. Safe to say, that first mission went downhill pretty fast."

"What do you mean?"

"Had to keep someone safe. Had to fix something I had done wrong. Before they could stop me I had slaughtered everyone in Sunnyhell. Even your mum."

"Wait. What?"

"Yeah, I kinda killed everyone and everything standing in front of me." Spike continued. "That happened from time to time, until I regained something resembling sanity and could finally understand what the glowing chit wanted from me."

"And what did she want?" Annie asked, feeling curiosity winning over.

"Don't know why the hell I'm telling you this." Spike muttered. "The bint told me I was their soldier. That I could get the chance to do things right. To fix them."

"Fix them how?"

"There's the catch, sweet pea." Spike said. "Sometimes even all the good in the world isn't enough. Sometimes a bit of destruction will set things back on the right track."

"Meaning?"

"I clean the fuck ups." Spike deadpanned. "Seems the Powers that be and their opposite playdudes occasionally screw up so badly they have to clear the board and start anew. That's where I step in."

"God." Annie whispered as she understood. "They use you to kill and destroy what they can't."

"Something like that."

"I think I'm going to be sick." Annie muttered and she again threw up in the dark tunnels. Spike chuckled but stopped walking until his young companion regained some composure.

"You all right, kid?" He asked.

"Yeah. Don't know why, but the smell of my own vomit is far more appealing than the general stench."

Spike laughed out loud and began walking again.

"I swear, this must be the most realistic façade I've found." He said as his laughter died out.

"Façade?"

"Yeah, you know, an illusion?"  
"I know what the word means. What do you mean by using it?"

"Look, I don't even remember what my real world looked like. It's so gone from my memory I don't think it even happened at all. What I know is what I've learnt on the missions. For all I know, I could very well be somebody else who is told who he is. Maybe I'm not that Spike bloke. Maybe I don't even exist anymore and this is all some elaborate illusion crafted to punish an insane idiot who believed in vampires."

"Wow, wait a bit. This is the real world. As far as I know."

"If I had a pound for every time I've heard that." Spike chuckled. "But I don't think about it. Much. I'd freak again if I delved into that existentialist crap. I'd lose my marbles again and I like this semblance of sanity I have."

"You honestly don't remember anything at all?"

"Just told you I don't." Spike huffed. "But this reality? It takes the prize. I mean, it has the appropriate amount of info that matches what I've supposedly known all along. It's even a few years in the future, not like the other places I've been. You say the version of Spike in here died years ago, and I haven't seen my double, so that must be true. What the glowing chit said is pretty much in accordance to what's happening here. And then you. You are what gets me so confused."

"Me? Why?"

"Because I have done what I've been asked to do without asking. Because the alternative is going back to that place I don't want to think about, and because I had not felt anything at all until I met you."

"And what do you feel?" Annie asked, a bit concerned.

"Get your mind off the gutter, bit. I already told you I don't see you like that. But I don't want to kill you. I could, you know? In a second. In less than a second. But I don't want to. And that's freaking me out."

Annie remained in silence for a few moments, not knowing what to say to that or how to voice what she was thinking.

"I get it." She finally said. "I don't know why, but I also don't want to fight you."

"And why's that?"

"In all this time, you haven't talked to me as if I was a child, which I am, I know, but that's not the point."

"Then?"

"You speak to me like an intelligent person. You tell me things and you don't worry if you're scarring the girl or if you're talking about the secrets of the family. Because you have treated me as your equal."

"Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly, and they will show themselves great."

"What?"

"Nothing." Spike cleared his throat. "Things that pop in my head sometimes. Bloody annoying."

"That was cool." Annie said. "How was it? Treat men great and they will be great?"

"Something like that. Point is, even if you're my enemy it doesn't mean I won't respect you. It doesn't mean I won't honor you."

Annie frowned but nodded.

"You talk weird."

"It's been ages since I was in merry ol' England." He said.

"Still got the accent, even though I don't hear it myself."

"Ahh, those of us who were born here don't acknowledge it. We're just proud of the fact we spawned the language, so we can talk it like however the hell we want to."

They both laughed and kept walking in silence for some minutes, until a shiver ran through Annie's back, even though she was still wrapped around the leather coat.

"Man, it's getting cold down here."

"You're wet." Spike noted. "Wet clothes get wet humans. Then the wet humans get cold and develop hypothermia."

"That's soddin' great." Annie muttered. "By the way, where are we going?"

"Beats me. I'm only waiting until the dragons finish off everyone up there."

And like that, the spell of comfort that had been built around them was lifted, and Annie again remembered the vampire walking next to her had been sent to murder them all. That mythical creatures were circling the city, burning it completely to the ground and every thing or being in it along.

"You could stop them if you wanted to?" She asked, desperately searching for an answer.

"Guess so." Spike replied, noticing the immediate change in her tone. "If I wanted to."

"You can stop this war." Annie continued. "You could end this all."

"I didn't start it." Spike said, feeling the need to explain himself to the child. "The only way I can end it? You already know how."

"That's not true!" Annie pleaded. "You could help us! You could use your strength and your intelligence for us! You could…"  
"Didn't you hear anything I just said?" Spike interrupted, his voice even and tired. "I could quit, sweet pea. I could just walk away and waste my time. A year, two, ten, it doesn't matter. I can't escape this. I'd just be brought back to the moment I made such a foolish decision, be forced to kill myself again and do what I have to."

"But…"

"I don't make the rules, pet." Spike sighed. "I do what I'm told to. I do it because I don't have a choice."

"You don't look or sound like someone who'd take a no for an answer."

"That I do? I don't know, bit. All I know is what I've done for the past hundred years. I don't know if I did something awfully wrong when I was alive or what is right anymore. I know only what was explained to me when I was forced to do this. Was I good? Was I bad? I don't know. It's lost in time."

Annie ran her hands through her hair. It saddened her to hear what had happened to the vampire in front of her, and wondered if it would change everyone's perception if they knew he was as confused as they were.

"From what I've heard or seen, I guess you were one of the good guys." She said.

"I have seen and learnt some things about your family in these journeys." Spike replied. "I've learnt what I was in their lives, and what they are, what they've done and what they can do. In the infinite possibilities, not everyone is exactly a good guy."

"What?"

"Most of the times I've been forced to kill everyone." Spike continued. "Sometimes it's only one or two of you. Most of the times it's your mum and the redhead."

"Mum and Aunt Willow?"

"They're the ones most prone for violence, or so it seems." Spike chuckled. "Dawn sometimes exists and sometimes doesn't. This is the first reality I've seen her as an adult. In all others she's the fifteen year old girl I was reintroduced to and some others she's younger."

"And I?"

"You? You, pet, you are special." Spike said. "This is the first time I've met you. Seems you're somehow special."

Annie blushed, not knowing why the knowledge of being unique made her feel tingly all over.

"Guess it must be because of your parents and all that rot." Spike kept talking. "The daughter of the slayer and whatever the fuck Angelus turned into."

"Why do you hate my dad so much?"

"Don't know if he did something to me, personally." Spike replied. "But I've seen what he's done. What he did to other versions of me. What he did to your mother and her friends. I mean, I've killed countless. Millions. Perhaps billions, I don't know, but I never fucked them up. I never did the kind of sick shit Angelus pulled on humans or those he met or even those who crossed his path. And I don't understand your mum's sick fascination with the bloke."

"Sick fascination?" Annie grimaced. "She loves him."

"How can you love someone like him?" Spike honestly asked. "You have seen what he can do. You've seen Angelus. And you've seen him tamer than what he can really be. I have taken him down countless times, and every time it gets better. He's just a sick puppy, and your mother doesn't seem to realize it until he kills her."

"He has…?"  
"Killed her? Oh yes. Hundreds of times. He's even killed her before I got the chance."

"That's Angelus." Annie said, looking away. "Angel, my dad, loves my mum."

"That's another thing that I don't get." Spike snapped. "I mean, I don't have a soul. I don't need one. I don't want one. But is everyone blind or just stupid regarding Angelus? Soul or no soul, it's the same bastard."

"Of course not." Annie replied. "With the soul, he's the loving, caring father I know. Without it…, he's an animal."

"Hey, watch it."

"You're different." Annie continued. "I feel comfortable around you, even though I know who you are. Around Angelus? I feel like I'm going to jump out of my skin."

"Or he'd rip your skin off, take your pick." Spike said. "Look, that's a moot point. I don't get the need to differentiate one from the other. They're the same. I hope you don't have to learn it the hard way."

"Thank you." Annie whispered. Spike stopped again and turned to look at her.

"You're thanking me? What for?"

"For being honest. For not lying to me. For treating me greatly."

Spike chuckled and was going to take another step when he felt something behind them.

"Aw. I keep missing the sweet moments."

Spike hissed and amber eyes met dark, dancing ones.

"Angelus."

"The one and only."

End of Chapter.

**A/N2:** 'Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly, and they will show themselves great.'

Said once by Ralph Waldo Emerson, in one of his Essays: First Series, the one called Prudence in 1841. He was an American author, poet and philosopher who lived in the 1800's. Seemed logical Spike would know something about him, even as a memory locked in the recesses of his mind.

And now that I'm rambling, you probably don't care, but I know a girl who looks a great deal like Italian actress Asia Argento.

I'm crazy? Definitely. I'm in love? That's scary. Do you care? Not one bit.


	74. Monster Mash

Chapter 73 Monster Mash 

**A/N:** Chapter seventy three of the series.

**Disclaimer:** All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback:** Sure, as you wish.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Somewhere beneath London, England

December 2017

"Dad?"

Angelus chuckled and stared at the girl standing next to the vampire.

"The one and only, baby." Angelus sneered. "I've been tracking you and learning some very interesting facts about our beloved William here."

"What?"

Spike shrugged, seeing the look Annie was giving him.

"Doesn't matter." The vampire replied. "Whatever he might have heard changes nothing."

"Oh, but it does." Angelus said. "Now I know you're not the Spike I met. Now I know you are nothing but a deranged monster who doesn't even know who he is."

"I wouldn't talk like that." Spike said. "In fact, I believe there won't be any complications now."

The vampire knew Annie wouldn't be able to see as well in the tunnel as she did under the full moon light, so he leapt at Angelus, hoping to be able to finish him off once and for all.

------------------------

Back under the demolished building, the slayer and her sister were still tearing off pieces of rock from the wall keeping them away from Annie.

"We're not getting anywhere." Dawn said.

"We have to tear this down." Buffy replied. "We have to find those two."

"Buffy, as much as I love your stubborn impulses, we are wasting time." Dawn said as she placed her hand on Buffy's arm. "They must be very far by now. We should instead be trying to find a way to get out of here."

Buffy sighed and punched the rocks in front of her, burying her hand in a large piece of stone.

"I can't give up!" She shouted. "I can't let my daughter alone with…!"

"With what? Or with whom?" Dawn stopped her sister's tirade. "He is her father, Buffy. He may not know it but we know Spike wouldn't harm a girl!"

"We don't know that!"

"Oh, so you gambled with my life when you tossed me at him when you couldn't take care of me?"

"Don't twist things! He would have never harmed you."

"Because of the chip?"

"Because he loved you!" Buffy snapped. "You have to stop second guessing me when it comes to Spike. I have come to terms with the things I've done and what he did, but right now he's not the same Spike we knew! He is the one in charge of killing me and my girls, Dawn! Get that through your skull!"

Dawn slapped her sister. Hard.

"Now you understand. I know it's hard, and you once told me Giles did the same thing to me, but there are other things we should be doing right now instead of tracking a lost vampire and his child. We should be more worried about Drusilla and the army standing up there and about the dragons spitting fire into the ground, or did you forget about that?"

"I didn't forget." Buffy said through clenched teeth. "But since you brought Giles into it, I will tell you the same thing I told him. I don't care what happens. No one touches Annie. No one. If I gave my life for my sister, what do you think I'd do for my daughter?"

"You didn't give your life for me." Dawn said, crossing her arms. "You had a death wish, Buffy. You wanted to die and I gave you the perfect excuse. You made it pretty clear after you returned. You didn't want to live here. We know that. We dealt with that. Now you're a general, Buffy. You said it yourself when we were in the previous wars. It's the mission, Buffy. Choose now. The mission or your daughter. Now."

Buffy shook from anger and once again punched the rocks. Tears of frustration ran down her cheeks and she punched the rocks until the skin on her knuckles broke. Dawn felt bad for chewing her sister's head off but she had to bring some perspective into the occasion.

But the slayer's sudden outburst caused another cave in, prompting the two women to quickly search for cover, seeing and feeling more rocks and debris fall down on them.

"Great. Just great." Dawn coughed again, seeing nothing but dust and inhaling it as well.

"Dawn. Look."

Dawn looked at Buffy and noticed she could see her face more clearly. Frowning, she walked towards her sister and noticed the rocks had fallen in a way a path had been formed up, and the moonlight was clearing towards them, showing them their path towards freedom.

"Wow. Your outbursts of immaturity have helped us this time."

"Not now, Dawnie. Not now."

They climbed in silence and managed to get out of their basement, only to find themselves in a deeper nightmare.

---------------------------

Angelus' fist impacted on Spike's cheekbone and a hard knee reopened the wound received from Dawn's sword. Blood flowed freely and Spike doubled over, the pain coursing all through his body.

"Now, what was that all about killing me?" Angelus snapped, grabbing Spike's hair and once again using his knee to slam it against the side of Spike's head.

The vampire saw stars and tasted blood on his mouth. Swallowing it, Spike fell on all fours on the floor and wished the world to stop spinning.

"I want to know how you did it." Angelus said, staring at Annie as he spoke. "I want to know how you got back."

"You couldn't understand." Spike coughed. "I don't understand it myself."

"Well, try, damn it!" Angelus shouted. "I usually kill only once. What I kill, stays dead!"

Spike chuckled and struggled to stand up.

"Not this time, Angie." The vampire said. "You can try again, for all I care."

"I might as well do!" Angelus spun around and threw a kick at Spike's midsection. The vampire grunted as he caught the leg, but he pulled it and delivered a kick of his own, damaging Angelus' crotch.

Angelus growled and fell to the ground, doubling over and settling on fetal position, moans of pain escaping his mouth.

"Can't say he didn't deserve it, but ouch." Annie said from her position, not moving at all.

"Cheap shot, I know, but the room's still spinning."

"What room? This is a bloody sewer!"

"You get my meaning." Spike said, checking his neck. "Will you be a good girl and let me kill him or we'll be forced to dance again?"

"You know I can't let you kill him." Annie said. "You'll have to find another way."

Spike shrugged, but as he was turning away, Angelus kicked his legs from under him and the vampire landed hard on his back. Angelus leapt on top of his enemy, smashing his forehead into Spike's nose, almost breaking it and causing blood to flow freely down his face.

Spike blindly shot with his left elbow, catching Angelus' brow, also sending blood tumbling down his face. The two rolled away and stood up, drops of red liquid falling onto the river of sewer water underneath.

"Good ones, Willy. Seems you have finally learned how to fight."

"I have learnt a lot of things." Spike growled. "Like what a piece of shit you are. Like how jealous of her you are."

"Shut up." Angelus hissed. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"But I do." Spike laughed. "I know your secret, Angel, and I don't mean the hair gel and the anal retentive cleaning thing."

"Shut up." Angelus growled this time. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

"But I do." Spike hissed back. "I do."

Angelus roared and charged his one time ally and friend, tackling him and burying themselves into the nearest wall. Dust flew into the air and both fighters coughed as they practically inhaled pulverized debris. Spike tried to find some leverage to throw Angelus off him, but he had been lifted clean off the floor and his feet couldn't find any support to help against the assaulting creature in front of him.

"Why can't I get rid of you?" Angelus roared as he slammed his left elbow into Spike's face, breaking the skin above Spike's right eye and sending blood flying into the shattered wall. "Why are you here?"

"You know the answer." Spike growled as he paid back the favor and hit Angelus' nose with his forehead, successfully breaking it. Blood flowed freely, as well as the instinctive tears, giving the vampire a brief respite as Angelus took some steps back and covered his face with his hands.

"You pathetic bastard!" Angelus growled. "You broke my nose!"

Spike didn't utter a sound as his left fist impacted against Angelus' right ear, sending shocks through the inner ear and sending equilibrium to hell.

But before Angelus had the chance to stagger anywhere, Spike's right fist had been already flying and landed hard on the unprotected chest of the enemy.

The strength of the blow sent Angelus flying against the other side, and yet another human shaped hole was created in the tunnels below London. More dust exploded into the dank air and Spike followed his attack, pummeling hard against his momentarily stunned opponent.

-------------------

"God…" Dawn whispered. The landscape before her was as alien as if she'd been standing in a world hundreds of light years away from Earth.

Besides her, the once blonde slayer stared open mouthed at the charred, black remains of what once had been one of the oldest cities in the world.

Covering her nose and mouth and fighting away tears, the two women tried to recognize where they stood, but the smoke and offending smells made it difficult for them to focus and try to find their bearings.

"What…?" Dawn tried to ask, her voice muffled by her own hand. "Where are we…? Is this…?"

"This is what the dragons can do." Buffy replied, her soft voice also muffled. "They did this while we were unconscious."

"The others…?"

"Still alive." Buffy replied. "Can still feel most of our slayers. They probably hid somewhere."

"But where? This…, there's only ash…"

"I know." Buffy shook her head. "They must have gone into the sewers."

Dawn looked up as she saw the silhouette of a dragon flying on the distance. Her mind went back to what Annie had told them and her brain began working, trying to remember where she had heard or read about the ring of the nibelung.

"What's on your mind, little sister?"

Dawn ignored Buffy's question, thinking there was something that she had missed on Annie's words, trying to find the answer to a puzzle she didn't even know how to assemble.

"Uh, Dawnie?"

The blue eyed woman felt she was getting nowhere, until she recalled the exact words Annie had used.

'He mentioned it, the vampire. Could be useful.'

Why should Spike talk about the ring of the nibelungs? Had it something to do with the situation they were suddenly thrust into?

The epic poem, as she recalled, talked about Sigmund or Sigfried's exploits, how he had defeated Fafnir the dragon and had bathed in his blood as…

A light shone on Dawn's eyes.

"My God, I got it!" She exclaimed as Buffy had grown worried over her sister's sudden silent spell. The blonde slayer leapt back as her sister's outburst surprised her and a frown appeared on her face.

"You got what?"

"The Nibelungenlied! The ring of the nibelungs! Sigfried!"

Buffy's face clearly indicated she had no idea what her sister was talking about, so Dawn sighed and shook her head.

"You know, you could pick a book once in a while."

"Ha, ha. You know I'm not very adept at that. Now, could you tell me what the hell you're talking about?"

"I can't believe it." Dawn replied. "I can't believe it. I don't know why Spike told Annie this, but he gave her the answer."

"What answer?"

"Come on, we've got to find Giles and Wesley." Dawn said as she pulled on her sister's arm. "We've been given an idea, and I think it will work."

----------------------------

Spike stopped as a small hand grabbed his right arm, and yellow eyes quickly met worried blue ones.

"I think you got him." Annie softly said, now turning her eyes towards Angelus' bruised face.

Spike sighed and looked at his enemy, his eyes closed and blood splattered all over the place. The vampire felt ashamed, having a small girl stopping him from murdering her father. He knew he would have to do it, but for some strange reason he didn't want her to see him do it.

"How did you do it?" Angelus blurted through bloodied lips. "How the hell did you do it?"

Spike shook his head and took a few steps back. He spat some blood aside and felt very tired. The emotional roller coaster the slayer's kid was exerting on him had exhausted him beyond any belief.

"Why do you want to know?" Spike asked.

"Just tell me how you did it!" Angelus croaked before a coughing fit assaulted him. Spike thought about kicking his enemy but the pleading eyes on Annie changed his mind. Closing his eyes and walking backwards, he felt the wall and leaned on it, searching his pockets for a cigarette.

"Don't." Annie softly said as he took the stick to his mouth. Giving her an odd look, Annie smirked and shook her head.

"You may not smell it, but I think you broke a gas tube back there when you were busy rearranging this tunnel's architecture. I don't know about you, but I don't want to die in a lethal ball of fire."

Spike nodded and threw away the pack. They were soaking wet with sewage water, so he rationalized it was because of that he was throwing them away, not because a young girl had asked him to.

"Tell me!" Angelus croaked again. "Tell me!"

"You don't want to know." Spike replied. "It would break your little heart."

"I came back from hell." Angelus said, blood flowing from his mouth. "I came back once. You've come back twice now. I want to know why!"

"You know what a hound of hell is, Angelus?" Spike asked.

"Of course I do." Angelus laughed and more coughs came to him. "They're those fucking awful half breed dogs that eat through everything."

"No, no. Those are hellhounds, offspring of Cerberus or Kerberos, as you may want to call him. They are nothing special. I meant a hound of hell."

"They are a myth." Angelus coughed out. "Whistler told me about them. The natural opposite of Champions."

"Riiight. And what was so special about them?" Spike asked.

"You can't be serious." Angelus said through grinding teeth. "You are delusional if you think I will believe what you're implying."

"I'm not implying anything." Spike snarled. "I am merely telling you what I was told."

"You can't." Angelus growled. "You can't."

"What do you mean?" Annie asked.

Spike turned around and stared at her.

"I am a hound of hell, sweet pea." Spike revealed. "Hounds of hell can't be killed the usual way. Every time you kill one of them, they're brought back to life. Every single bloody time." The vampire brought his gaze back to the fallen Angelus.

"That's why I'm here again. Sounds pretty far fetched and lame, I know, but that's what I am. That's why you could kill me twice, or even a thousand times, and I will keep coming back. You can't stop me, even if you really try."

Annie felt her stomach turn and stared at them, beginning to feel numb. Her mother, aunt and her had gone looking for the vampire, trying to find answers and maybe a way to stop him, and now she was hearing there was absolutely no way to stop him.

Insane laughter poured from Angelus' mouth.

"What's so funny?" Spike asked.

"You're lying." Angelus said. "You can't be a hound."

"Oh, and why is that?"

"Because I know how you become one." Angelus said as he struggled to stand up. "Because the only way to become a hound is to actually kill one of them, and as you so thoroughly put it, they come back every time they're killed."

Spike growled, and spat a mouthful of blood at Angelus' face.

"You should stop worrying about me and what I am and for once realize your daughter is here with us."

Annie's head shot up. A feel of dread and betrayal ran through her spine. She had accused Spike of manipulating the truth and now he was using her as a pawn in their game.

"Don't bring me into this." She hissed. "Whatever you two may have to fix, don't count me in."

Spike laughed. "Hear her, Angie? She's all yours, man."

"Really?" Angelus mockingly said as he finally stood up, swaying on unsure legs. "Is she?"

Spike noticed the tone and frowned.

"Look at her, Willy. Seriously look at her."

Spike growled.

"Now, now, down boy. See what's in front of you. Look into her eyes."

"What are you...?"

"Shut up!" Angelus roared. "How ironic is it she's wearing your coat? How ironic is it the little bitch has blue eyes when her mother and I don't?"

Annie cringed when the monster that looked exactly like her father referred to her as he had just done.

"And her hair. I mean, we know Buffy is not a natural blonde, neither is that aberration she calls a sister. Last I checked I wasn't one as well."

"What the fuck are you saying?" Spike growled again.

"Look at the little tyke, Spikey. Look at her. You may not have a reflection, but if you look closely at her, you'll see your own fucking face and eyes staring back at you."

Spike's eyes turned yellow.

"You lie." He hissed.

"Angel once tasted her blood." Angelus growled. "And he recognized the blood of Aurelius in it. He thought it was his own blood, but now I see Buffy has always been more of a slut than she lets on."

Spike growled, but the gasp leaving Annie's mouth made him stop and turn around.

Blue eyes met blue eyes and the gasp was soon echoed by the vampire.

The eyes, the shape of their faces, the scar on their eyebrows.

The posture, the color of her hair, the connection felt by both of them as they met.

Angelus laughed and the hateful sound made Annie cringe.

"Baby, meet your real daddy."

End of Chapter


	75. Tears In Heaven

Chapter 74 Tears In Heaven 

**A/N: **Chapter seventy four of the series.

**Disclaimer: **All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback**: Sure, as you wish.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Somewhere beneath London, England

December 2017

"What?"

Annie's voice was small and she felt an enormous knot form in her throat, her mind trying to shut down and restart after hearing such news coming out from the mouth of the monster who shared his memories with the man who was her father.

Her eyes swung back and forth between the two men standing in front of her, finding a cruel smile on Angelus' face, and an irritated frown on Spike's.

Finding no refuge in either, her mind crashed and she didn't even feel the need to run, feeling more alone then she had ever felt in her young life.

"Man, I hate to play with people's feelings." Angelus said, tumbling his way until he leaned against the wall. "Oh, no, wait…"

"That was low, even for you." Spike hissed. "It doesn't surprise me, but it was low nevertheless."

"Come on, Willy! I mean, you'd have to be blind or stupid not to notice the resemblance!" Angelus practically howled. "Her eyes! Her unusual ways! She even wrote poetry to me once! Poetry! Her mother sucks and I have no idea how such a stupid thing could be considered art, but her poetry? It made me want to heave and drown in my own vomit! It made me think immediately of you and those poems you kept with you when young!"

"That doesn't mean anything." Spike growled. "That girl can't be my daughter. Vampires can't father children."

"I did. Darla did." Angelus scoffed. "What makes you believe you couldn't? Look at her, Spike! Look at your own bastard!"

Annie looked up again and the word hurt her more than anything else could have. Her big eyes filled with tears and they ran down her face unchecked. Her heart skipped and she felt the room spinning around her.

'That's not my father.' A small voice told her in her head. 'That's not daddy. That's a lying monster.'

Spike, on the other hand, growled again and launched himself at Angelus, his rage increasing in a way he had forgotten long ago. Seeing nothing but red and feeling the insane need to hurt Angelus, Spike savagely punched Angelus' face, feeling bone crack and not caring if it had been his enemy's skull or his own knuckles.

The force of the impact made Angelus lose consciousness and literally buried his head into the wall. Spike's ears were filled with a growling sound, which he realized moments later was his own voice. Seeing his enemy's unconscious form in front of him, he figured he could inflict more pain later into the sick monster Angelus was. Killing him there would be very easy.

Taking unneeded deep breaths to cool off, the sounds of growling slowly disappeared and his ears were filled with a different sound.

The sobs of a young girl whose heart had been shattered beyond repair.

Spike counted from ten to one until he regained some semblance of calmness. Staring at the girl in front of him, he realized how young she really was, and how the words and actions of the monster that was her father had probably scarred her for life.

Spike sighed, knowing there was something seriously wrong when he was agreeing with Angelus on something. Even if he couldn't look at himself on a mirror, the girl greatly resembled him or the image he had of himself.

But still some doubt lingered. He knew Dawn had blue eyes, and maybe the slayer's father had them as well. Joyce had been blonde and the color of her hair was quite similar to the girl's, so the hair could come from there. The shape of her face? Well, that was just a coincidence.

He couldn't be a father.

He knew it was impossible.

"Uh, kid?"

Annie didn't reply, her small body shaking and her arms wrapped around herself. Spike sighed again and tried to dismiss the sudden sense of sadness that overcame him, as well as the unexplainable need to comfort the girl.

'Could that be why I don't want to hurt her?' He suddenly thought. He shook his head and willed himself to clear all traitorous thoughts. He was there for a reason. He was there to fix what was wrong, and he would probably be forced to slaughter the girl.

So his brain almost got fried when he noticed he had enveloped the crying girl with his own arms, and was making soothing noises as one of his hands rubbed the girl's back and the other was petting her hair.

His logic did a double turn and something in his head snapped, completely confused as of why his body had acted without his brain noticing.

Sure, it had happened before, but it had been mostly during situations when his body had been forced to react faster than his mind could.

Like fighting or shagging.

"There, there, sweet pea, stop crying."

His voice surprised him again and he felt ashamed because he was thinking of slaughtering and having sex when comforting the young girl.

The picture itself was like a deranged Norman Rockwell painting. Two supernatural beings standing in the middle of a devastated sewer, filthy water surrounding them and splatters of blood on their faces and bodies.

"Come on, bit, I don't know what to do when little girls cry."

"I'm not a little girl." Came the muffled reply. Annie sobbed again and Spike groaned inwardly when he figured his shirt would be covered in tears and snot.

When the girl in his arms shook again, he decided there was nothing wrong with that.

-------------------

"Ok. Are you serious?"

Dawn shook her head. She couldn't believe she had been made out of the woman walking next to her.

"One more time. He must have read the story at one point in his life. It must have stuck in his brain and there must be a reason why he told Annie."

"Spike didn't act on reason." Buffy replied. "At least fourteen years ago he didn't. He acted on impulse."

"Maybe that's why we should listen and act." Dawn said. "From what we've seen, he's had the chance to slaughter Annie and he hasn't. Drusilla had her at her arms' reach, already twice, and Annie has not been touched. Maybe there's something we're not seeing. Maybe we should take the only lead and opportunity that has appeared and stop whining and start acting."

"My God, you sound so much like Giles now."

Dawn laughed.

"I'm serious." Buffy said. "Now, what do you suggest we do?"

"We've got to gather some stuff." Dawn began. "And I know just where to find it."

--------------------

"You ok, now?" Spike asked as the girl in his arms stopped shaking. He carefully pushed her away a bit, trying to look at her face.

The girl's face was red and her tears had left tracks on her face.

"Bloody hell, girl, you look awful."

"Why, thank you very much." Annie frowned. "Your compassion amazes me."

"Hey, it's all right." Spike said as he used his shirt to slowly clean Annie's face as best as he could. Surprisingly enough for both of them, Annie let him do so without jumping away.

"About what he said…"

"Don't." Annie interrupted, her eyes looking down. "I don't know what he wanted to say. I don't care. That monster is not my father. My dad wouldn't…"

"I have my own theories on the subject." Spike said and softly lifted Annie's face and stared into her eyes. "But even if Angelus is a thorough bastard, he doesn't lie."

Annie stared into the blue eyes that mirrored her own.

"What are you saying?" She asked as she took a few steps back.

"I became very good at noticing things, sweet pea. I can see how much you resemble your mother. I can see it in the shape of your eyes or the way you stand. The shape of your body." Spike sighed and ran his hands through his hair, messing it up.

"And yet I don't see too many things of this man in you. I don't see the shape of his face in yours. Your nose. The shape of your lips. The color of your eyes. Even in the way you fight. It is his style, but changed. As if someone else taught it to you whilst watching Angelus fight."

Annie shivered.

Inside her head, like tetris pieces, things began to fall into place. Her mother's nervousness when dealing with the vampire. The fear and awkwardness displayed when his name was spoken. The way her mother's eye had twitched when the leather coat had been discovered.

Light bulbs began to go on and off in her brain, electricity running and coming up with conclusions, ideas and questions that needed answers.

"Did you and mum…?"

"Your mum and I what?" Spike asked.

"Were you together? Did you…? Where you two a couple or something?"

Spike frowned and something in the pit of his stomach twisted as his brain recoiled against the loaded question. Truthfully, he didn't recall that much from before, but there were things that appeared on his mind every time he closed his eyes. The picture was very much of the blonde slayer, but it didn't speak of a remotely decent relation.

It spoke of darkness and violence.

It spoke of blood and heartache.

It was as if it had been part of his punishment.

"No, sweet cheeks, I don't think there was anything at all between your mum and I." Spike finally spoke. "And even if I did, you know vampires can't father children."

"Dad did." Annie repeated Angelus' words. "Connor is living proof."

"Angelus has always been a pawn." Spike countered, trying to ignore the blatant evidence. "The existence of his son is proof that he's been played for so long."

"And what about you?" Annie asked. "You are a pawn of them as well."

"There is a difference, pet. Your father is a pawn. I am a player." Spike replied, some part of his mind screaming at his civility with the slayer's daughter.

"A player? A player would be able to choose. From what you've told me, you don't have a lot of choices."

"Careful, child." Spike growled. "Don't talk about what you don't understand."

"What I understand is that dad was gifted with a child once. A one time miracle. Later on I appeared, but what he's saying. What you just told. He doesn't lie."

"Oh, so that's it? The all mighty Angelus says one thing and the world changes. A whole modern day prophet. What's next, bit? Miracles?"

"We live in a world where miracles happen." Annie said. "Vampires are lore in the world most people walk. In my world, I am the daughter of a vampire slayer and…, supposedly a man who was a vampire. Your very appearance has sent everything to hell. I saw you die and now you're arguing with me. We should consider the options."

"Options?" Spike growled. "What options? I told you, I am not the Spike from this dimension. I am not even sure if this is a dimension or if I'm still in hell. Can you tell me that, pet? Can you assure me this is not hell?"

"You said it yourself." Annie replied. "In every other place you've been there has been a difference."

"Differences are not always good."

"But they exist. You said it. Auntie Dawn is not the girl you left behind. I exist on this reality. Dad breath…, dad used to breathe here. Now I look at you and I see the resemblance. I understand why mum and auntie Dawn freaked out when they saw me wearing your coat."

"What the bleeding hell are you trying to say?"

"I say we could at least try to consider the option." Annie whispered.

"I am not your father."

"We could…"

"I am not your father!" Spike growled. "You know what a father is? You know what a father does? It's the man who knows when and were you were born. The man who was there when you took your first step. The man who knows what your favorite color is. The man who has been there from the beginning. The man your mother loves. Not me."

"You're absolutely right."

"Huh?"

"That man is my father, no doubt." Annie said. "He was there from the beginning, and he knows everything about me. I didn't say you were my father in that sense of the word. I love that man and will always love him, but he, or more accurately, a side of him said something that has obviously been on my parents' head for so long."

"Rubbish."

"I don't think so. See, I may be young but I am not stupid. Mum has been very nervous about you, and I know she once faced a dragon on her own and didn't even flinch. You have her knickers on a complete twist."

"And you're basing your entire hypothesis on that? The fact I can get your mother nervous?"

"Well, there's that and there's the fact that the psychotic murderer that wears my father's face just said you're the one responsible for my existence."

"Christ. You're just as annoying as your mother. That part you got it right. Ok. Let's play along for a while."

"What?"

"It could very well explain why I don't want to kill you."

"You don't want to kill me?" Annie asked, batting her eyelashes. "Awww."

"I said I don't want to. I never said I wouldn't."

"You and the weird bird back there don't seem as bad as everyone thinks you are." Annie chuckled. Spike tried to growl but sighed. There was something about the girl that both exhausted and thrilled him.

"Listen, pet. Since you are not a slayer, technically I don't have to kill you, so I do have a choice. I choose not to kill you, because I don't want to. A player gets to do that. A pawn would just plow through everything and everyone. I may be even able to protect you from Dru. She doesn't want to kill you as well, or else she would have torn your throat apart, even if she was in one of her cheese induced highs."

"That is so weird."

"You have no idea. But you must get the point. There is a war going on up there, bit. A huge war. Stand in my way and I may have to kill you."

"Even if I may be your daughter?"

"Bloody hell, child! You can't be my daughter!" Spike exploded. "You're more like a very young version of Dawn!"

"Thought you didn't remember her."

Something snapped inside Spike's head and he knew he would explode any moment there. Acting without thinking, Spike brought out one of his soaked cigarettes and quickly lit a match.

"What the fu…!"

Annie couldn't finish her words as Spike tossed the small stick on fire.

His mind raced and informed him of the words the girl had spoken earlier.

And the word 'gas' seemed to have a special importance.

A pair of blue eyes turned around as the gas ignited and an explosion tossed them away.

End of Chapter.

**A/N2:** I know the story is very long. I don't want to alienate anyone and never have. There is an outlined plot and I am trying to get from point A to point B, B being the already written final chapter and words, but several ideas have appeared in the road to B.

I want to finish the story. I really do, but I don't want to rush it and I don't want to tire you. Those of you reading, please hang in there.


	76. Two Face

Chapter 75 Two Face 

**A/N: **Chapter seventy five of the series. I've reread most of the story and have discovered horrible mistakes, in spelling, grammar and even blatant plot holes. I sincerely apologize. Most of these chapters are written in the wee hours of what cannot be described as either night or morning.

Also, I don't have a beta. Sorry for all the mistakes. On with the story.

**Disclaimer: **All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback: **Sure, as you wish.

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Somewhere in London, England

December 2017

"Can you tell me what we're looking for?" Buffy asked, staring at her younger sister as the blue eyed girl was looking through the ruins of what had once been the Council of Watchers.

"At least tell me so I can help you look."

Dawn's head turned around and a large smile was on her face.

"Oh, you'd knew what I'm looking for if you cared to read something once in a while." Dawn replied. "I'm looking for a rather helpful appliance that you have not used for, say, fourteen years."

"A home appliance in the Council? Are we looking for a microwave oven?"

"Nope. Something that slices and dices with the greatest ease."

"A knife?"

"Work with me, Buff." Dawn sighed. "Something that is pointy on one end and very sharp on the other, and up until years ago, only you could wield it."

"My God…" Buffy whispered as it dawned on her. "The scythe."

"Yeap." Dawn replied, still looking through the ruins. "Thing is, I can feel it, as most slayers can. I may not be a regular or even orthodox slayer, but I can feel it as much as you or the other hundredths of slayers can."

Buffy nodded, feeling the power of the weapon radiating from somewhere underneath the rubble, but she still couldn't figure our how the scythe would be helpful against a dragon.

"Dawnie, short of throwing the weapon against a dragon and hoping we could hit it, how will it help us?"

Dawn sighed and shook her head.

"Buffy, you have absolutely no idea what the ring of the nibelungs talks about, do you?"

Buffy flushed and crossed her arms.

"What about it?" She defensively asked.

"Well, listen." Dawn huffed. "I won't bore you with the whole story, or even recite the poem to you, but the thing that made me think about the scythe is how Sigfried, or Sigmund, managed to kill Fafnir the dragon and become invincible."

"Invincible?"

"Yeah." Dawn nodded, tossing brick after brick aside. "You know? You could help me as I tell the story."

Buffy nodded and began tossing debris aside.

"There are different versions as of why Sigfried sought and battled Fafnir, and there are also different stories as to who told him how to kill the dragon. Thing is, Sigfried walks inside the dragon's lair, but turns out he can't slaughter the dragon as easily as he believed, so he outsmarts the creature. The hero hides in a crack on the floor, and patiently waits."

"Patiently waits? That's your advice?"

"Shut up and listen." Dawn replied. "Long story short, Sigfried waits until the dragon walks right above him, exposing its softer underbelly. Sigfried then jams his sword into the dragon's weak point, effectively killing it."

"Wow. Can we say time consuming?"

"Look, Buff. I have read the stories and even saw Andrew's half assed documentary. How many swords you broke on a dragon's hide?"

"Countless." Buffy answered. "But last I checked, dragons flew. How much time we'd have to wait until one of them actually landed and walked right above us?"

"Dammit, Buffy, I don't have any more ideas!" Dawn hissed. "I don't know how we could stop the dragons! If Spike slipped or tried to give Annie hope, we will never know, but he gave her an idea and right now I don't know what else to do!"

Buffy closed her mouth and looked away, hating how she always had to look at all the angles in a battle.

"I don't enjoy killing hope, Dawnie." Buffy softly said. "But I have to be realistic. The city is gone, and the dragons are circling it, patrolling and burning everything that moves. It may be the only idea we have, but it's not very plausible."

"I know it isn't." Dawn said. "But like you said, the city is gone. I guess it's a matter of minutes before a nuclear weapons goes off in it."

Buffy looked around, staring at the post apocalyptic vision that her city had become.

"Since the Initiative failed, I guess the only thing preventing that from happening is the U.N."

"And Ireland and Scotland. Bet you they don't want nuclear weapons detonating so close to them." Dawn noted. "So, tell me now, big sis. Does this looks like madness, or our last, desperate attempt to survive?"

Buffy did not reply, as her mind was already working, trying to figure where the vault containing the scythe would could be, after the building had been destroyed and crumbled.

"The dragon's fire couldn't have melted the vault." Buffy noted. "It was in Giles' office. It should be closer to the ground."

"Which is why I'm down on all fours lifting burnt debris with my bare hands." Dawn sighed. "We're talking about only a few feet of bricks, not tons of it."

After few minutes of digging and coughing, the two sisters finally managed to locate the slightly burnt and battered vault, a symbol of hope held within.

"Man, that took less than I expected." Buffy sighed.

"You're a lot more helpful when you shut up and act, you know." Dawn grunted as she turned the vault into an upright position. "Now, I hope you have the code to open this thing."

"Yup. No keys and no codes, only fingerprints."

"What if someone chopped off your finger?" Dawn asked.

"The thing also detects heartbeats or pulses." Buffy replied. "Dead people or vampires don't have that."

"Riiight."

Buffy placed her thumb on the small screen at the bottom of the vault, and hoped it hadn't been too damaged to work properly.

A green light and a soft hum after, and the heavy door swung open.

"Cool." Dawn said. "Now get that big weapon and let's get the hell out of here."

Buffy nodded and as soon as she touched the red blade, images of all her slayers, death or alive, filled her head, and a new resolution entered her heart.

"Did you feel that?" Buffy asked. Dawn nodded and placed her hand on her sister's shoulder.

"That weapon connects us all." Dawn said. "All the slayers. I felt how many are still alive. They are still an army, and are waiting for you to lead them."

Buffy looked at her sister's eyes and then at the weapon in her hand. Something began turning in there and she knew decisions had to be made.

"You said something to me." She softly said. "And I know you were right. I am a general in this war and I have to choose what's best for the world and for my people."

Hazel eyes locked with blue eyes.

"But right now, I can't think as a general. I am thinking as a mother, Dawnie. My daughter is out there and I have to find her. I don't know where she is, and I won't function at all until I'm sure she's well, or if she's…"

"Spike wouldn't harm her." Dawn softly said.

"I know, but he wouldn't go out of his way to save her. She's the enemy, and destruction is happening everywhere." Buffy continued. "I hope you understand. I hope you won't be angry at me."

Buffy handed the weapon to her sister, the meaning clear.

"Take this to them." Buffy whispered. "Tell them your idea. I will find you as soon as I find Annie."

Dawn wanted to say something, but she knew Buffy was telling the truth. She was no longer a general, but instead a worried mother.

Dawn found she couldn't blame her sister; she hoped she had been so important to her as to stay behind and fight instead of taking a dive from a steel tower.

"Very well." Dawn nodded as she took the weapon from her sister's hands. "Find her, and get her back."

Buffy nodded as she stood up and ran away.

Dawn sat still on the burnt debris, feeling now the weight of the world on her hands. Looking at the scythe and feeling the connection with all the other slayers, she knew she could lead them to battle.

After all, she had it on her blood.

------------------------

Buffy ran through the charred streets, not knowing exactly where to run, but trying to use the bond she'd developed with her daughter to find her.

Stopping her mad dash, she stood still in the middle of nowhere and closed her eyes, taking deep breaths and trying to focus.

A few minutes later, she felt a small twinge in the back of her head, and she knew her daughter was still alive.

Grinning, she took off in the direction she felt her daughter.

------------------------

The world was spinning when Spike opened his eyes.

Something burnt them and he quickly closed them. Every bone in his body hurt and his mind slowly informed him he hadn't died and returned. Nothing ached when he was brought back.

There was a loud ring in his ears, and he figured one if not both eardrums had been shattered. He cursed himself for not remembering the early warnings and the possibility of lethal explosions when standing on a sewer.

Groaning, the vampire struggled to stand up, but his inner ear was still to damaged for him to attain balance, so he settled for leaning against the wall.

Breathing slowly, he figured his ribs had been shattered, as he felt them puncturing his inner organs. The sensation had been felt many times before, but he always hated broken ribs.

Opening his eyes again, he finally managed to focus and saw most of the tunnel had caved in. He figured that was the reason he was still alive. The explosion had probably shaken the already weakened walls around them and had fallen before the fire reached them.

Still, he could smell some burnt flesh and wondered how many parts of his body had been singed or completely burnt. He looked at his hands and noticed they were still there, ten digits and all. He flexed his legs and noticed one of them was broken.

Nothing too bad, he noticed, and tried again to stand up.

Struggling a bit, he managed to stay upright and looked around.

All of a sudden, his mind connected the dots and his blood ran colder than the usual as he remembered he wasn't alone in the tunnel.

Ten feet from where he stood, the young girl who could be his daughter was floating face up in the filthy water, and he couldn't see if she was breathing or not.

His ears still ringing, he was unable to hear her breathing or her heartbeat, so he quickly limped to where she was, not caring about the pain or his injured leg. He splashed dirty water all around as he landed hard against the unmoving child on the dirty floor, and he hurriedly placed two fingers against her throat, fearing the worst.

Releasing a deep breath he didn't know had been holding, Spike thanked whomever would listen for small favors. Annie was still breathing.

Judging from the lack of injuries or burnt flesh or clothes, Spike figured he had leapt in front of her as the explosion happened, and had covered her with his body.

Frowning, he didn't know why he had done that or why he was worried about her. It wasn't as if she was…

But she very well could be. Lifting her off the filthy water, he scurried until his back was against the wall and he slowly let himself fall, cradling Annie on his lap.

Carefully placing Annie's had against his chest, he ran his free hand through his hair and leaned his head back. He wondered if he was being nice or if he was only delaying the inevitable.

Looking down at the girl on his arms, he began questioning himself. It would be probably for the best if he merely turned her upside down and let her drown in the dirty water. Maybe it'd be better if he snapped her neck while she was still unconscious. It wouldn't hurt and she'd die peacefully.

But as more scenarios came to his head, he found them uncomfortable and a sudden feeling of nausea assaulted him.

So he sighed and waited until she woke up, not daring to move her until then.

-------------------

Buffy ran faster as she felt her daughter closer, but there was a feeling in her head that told her things weren't entirely right. Maybe Annie had been injured or she was in pain.

Buffy didn't care and she kept pushing herself harder, demanding her legs short burst of super speed and asking her lungs for greater capacity so she wouldn't tire so quickly.

After more minutes of tension, she could feel Annie closer than before, but she didn't know where to look. Everywhere she looked at, she could only see demolished buildings, fires still going on or craters on the floor.

Her mind did a double take and she realized Annie had been in the sewers the last time she'd seen her. Smirking, Buffy located the large hole on the ground and leapt down, immediately noticing a broken gas pipe, going on like a large flamethrower.

Having been in similar situations before, she located a large rock and traced the gas pipe, finding a place where she could strike and not blow up, she aimed and hit with all her strength, crushing the tube and stopping the flow of gas and extinguishing the flame.

Now the sewer was left in complete silence, and she slowly walked around, focusing on her surroundings and searching for her daughter.

As she walked through the place where she figured the tunnel had caved in, her eyes immediately locked on the couple leaning against the wall and her brain almost crashed in and restarted on the spot.

Spike, the vampire intent on murdering her, was sitting on the floor with her daughter cradled in his arms. A feeling of pure motherly concern overrode the shock of seeing her former lover hug the girl and she practically fled towards the blond couple.

"My God, is she all right?" She asked as she knelt before them.

"She looks ok and I can't smell any blood on her." Spike replied. "We, uh, kinda were in the middle of an explosion."

"A gas leak?" Buffy asked as she checked her daughter with her own hands.

"Yup."

"How did it light up?"

"Uh, I have no idea." Spike lied. He wasn't going to admit it, but he was kicking himself in his head for being so stupid to light a gas leak.

"You are hurt, too." She said as she took a closer look at him.

"Nothing that won't heal eventually." He replied. "Or you could just stake me and I'd be back in an hour or so, completely healed."

"So you do come back from the dead." She softly said.

"Every time." Spike nodded. "You may want to take the bit to a hospital or something."

"There are no hospitals, Spike." Buffy said. "The city has been completely destroyed."

"Oh."

"Right, oh. The dragons destroyed everything. It's like a bomb went off up there or something like it."

Spike didn't say anything and he looked at the girl still cradled in his arms.

He remembered Angelus' words and he looked back at Buffy.

"I remember you with blonde hair." He said. "And don't take this the wrong way, but you were a lot thinner."

"Hey, I'm a mother now. And I eat well. I'm not concerned about my weight anymore."

Spike chuckled.

"Besides, I was a married woman."

"Was?"

"Do you see my husband anywhere around?"

"As a matter of fact..." Spike pointed to a far point on the other wall, and Buffy slowly turned around and stared at another pile of debris.

Underneath it all, lay her aforementioned husband, blood flowing from his face.

"Did you kill him?" She softly asked, not knowing what to feel.

"The bit didn't let me." Spike replied, feelingn pain every time air entered his lungs. "She didn't want me to kill her father."

"Oh, honey." Buffy turned to look back at her daughter and caressed her face. "She always looks out for everyone else."

"He's her father." Spike reasoned. "It's normal."

"He hasn't been too much of a father lately." Buffy said, once again feeling comfortable enough with Spike to tell him about her problems.

"I know. He is a right bastard." Spike sighed. "You may want to talk to your kid once she wakes up."

"Why?" Buffy asked, narrowing her eyes. "What happened?"

"The poof told her some interesting lies." Spike replied. "But it doesn't matter. If you want the wanker to live, you may want to lift his face off the water."

Buffy frowned, but she decided she might as well try to think about what to do with Spike or her husband. She sighed, maybe Spike also wanted to get rid of her. She knew very well Angelus wouldn't, or more accurately, couldn't drown.

Staring at the monster sharing the face of her husband and first love, she slowly knelt and began throwing away the debris and bricks above his unconscious body.

As she finished, she kept staring at the creature in front of her. An unconscious effort forced her to move a stray hair off his face, and as her hand brushed his forehead, something struck her as weird.

Turning her face around, she stared at the vampire looking at her daughter, his words echoing in her head.

A horrified look appeared on her face as she stared back at Angelus, and she carefully placed her hands on either side of his face.

Shock appeared on her face and she leapt back, the air leaving her lungs.

"Seems your pretty Angelus has plenty of tricks under his sleeve, huh?" Spike said. "Maybe he fooled all of you, but he sure as hell didn't fool Dru, the demons or me."

Buffy's mind crashed again for the hundredth time in that war, and she realized what Spike had meant.

"Could hear his hearbeat all the time. Rather annoying."

She heard Spike's words but her mind still refused to process the information. The sixteen year old in her struggling to stay alive.

Because that meant Angel had not been turned again by Drusilla, and something had always been seriously wrong with her first love.

End of Chapter.


	77. The Turn of a Friendly Card

Chapter 76 The Turn Of A Friendly Card 

**A/N: **Chapter seventy six of the series.

**Disclaimer: **All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback: **Sure, as you wish.

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Somewhere in London, England

December 2017

Spike frowned when minutes went by and the slayer didn't move a bit. He thought about saying something so completely and utterly hurtful so she'd turn around and kill him and end the pain momentarily. He'd be back in no time and could finish his job.

"It can't be."

The slayer's soft words found their way into Spike's ears and he realized the ringing noise had finally disappeared.

"What is it, luv?" He asked.

"It can't be." She repeated and knelt again in front of Angelus, checking for a pulse. Her shoulders slumped more when she found the rhythm of his pulse. The implications were enormous and all her moral beliefs were shattering in front of her. All she believed, all she trusted in and all she loved had been a lie.

"What does this mean?" She asked.

"Nothing." Spike replied. "It means you'll understand what he is. What he has always been. The soul made no difference."

"So he's always been a bastard who enjoys hurting people?" Buffy softly asked. "He could have lost his soul, or…"

"The soul is there." Spike countered. "You know it as well as I do. You know you haven't been able to feel him as you feel me. You know I am a vampire, and you know he isn't. He merely is Angel."

"You told me." Buffy continued. "You once told me there was no difference between one another. But this…"

"This is what he's always been." Spike said. "It's what he is. Becoming a vampire doesn't change the memories or feelings, slayer. It only wipes the restraints and morals. It brings out the true self."

"Angelus."

"The soul was only mind consuming guilt." Spike offered. "I've seen him in several realities. Angelus is his true self."

Buffy sat back, not caring if she was sitting in filthy water. She placed her hands on her face and didn't want to look around or understand what was happening. The man who'd tried to kill her wasn't a soulless vampire, but the man she had married and promised to love.

"Listen, slayer, you could mourn all the time you want and cry your eyes out, but the little bit could use some help." Spike said, trying to get the slayer to think properly. "She should be somewhere else."

Buffy looked at her husband and sighed. She took a full minute to say goodbye to her heart and mourned the death of the sixteen year old girl in her.

"I'll have to take them both back." She finally said. "Annie will want to be with her family, and…, we'll take care of Angel…us…"

"You could leave him here." Spike said. "I'd be glad to take that problem off your hands."

"Thanks, but no thanks." Buffy said, a sad smile on her face. "He'll have to answer to our own way of justice."

"A soul won't work now." Spike chuckled.

"Now that'd be a waste of time." Buffy chuckled as well.

A comfortable silence appeared between the two of them and Spike focused on the sound of Annie's heartbeat.

"You look comfortable with her." Buffy suddenly said.

"Angelus said she was my daughter." Spike countered, effectively cutting Buffy's words. "The wanker called her names. The bit will be very disappointed when she learns the whole truth."

"What? What did he…?"

"He pointed some interesting facts about the bit." Spike said, his eyes fixed on the girl. "Said she looks like me. Is that right?"

"She's wearing your coat."

"That much he said as well. So? Was he telling the truth?"

"As close as the truth can be when spoken by him." Buffy sighed. "Annie is your daughter."

"Wow." Spike whispered as he softly ran his hand through Annie's hair. "Anne was my mother's name."

"I didn't know."

"Is one of the few things I remember." He said. "I don't remember my father's name, or if I had brothers or sisters. I don't remember if anything happened between you and me."

"Something did." Buffy admitted.

"If it is something similar to what happened between most of the versions of you and me, it wasn't pretty."

"No." Buffy felt ashamed. "No it wasn't."

"So why would I, uh, how could I be part of…?"

"She's beautiful, isn't she?"

"The first time I saw her, I felt something weird." Spike admitted. "Something I can't explain. I felt alive, and I only feel alive when I'm fighting or shagging, and take that horrified look off your face, I don't want to fight or shag the girl."

"Very good, she's your daughter."

"And yet, I don't understand why some…, thing like me could make…"

"Angels said she was your redemption."

"What? Who said what?"

"Angels. Lightbeings. My mom."

"I always knew your mum would become an angel." Spike said, a big smile on his face. "Of the few things I remember, is when she invited me to her home and made me hot cocoa."

"That was my mom, always nice to strangers."

"Was I a stranger?" Spike asked.

"No, she had seen you a few times before." Buffy replied. "She always liked you."

"I can't stop what's going to happen." Spike said, changing the direction of their conversation. "You have the power to stop this, or so I've been told."

"There was a choice, yes." Buffy said as she sat down next to Spike, her eyes fixed on their daughter. "But it wasn't a choice I could take alone. It affected my slayers and the whole world."

"And this war? How is it helping the world?"

"By giving us a choice." Buffy countered. "I mean, I don't find the sense to this war. It speaks of Balance and I'm afraid I don't quite understand. Ever since my slayers appeared, murder and crime is at an all time low. Demonic activity has diminished. The world is a safe place to live in."

"And who told you that was balance?"

"What?"

"I'm here because the scale has tipped to one side, slayer, and that is never good."

"The safety of the world is not good?"

"I'm here to correct mistakes, Buffy. To fix glitches in the program." Spike said. "It's something I told the bit here. She killed tonight, slayer. She killed, and she didn't consider it murder because they were demons."

"She was fighting for a greater good."

"And my demons aren't?" Spike asked. "We're trying to fix what's wrong. I know what will happen if balance is not restored, slayer, and what's happening now? It is nothing compared to what's coming."

"And what is coming?" Buffy asked, her eyes fixed on Spike's.

"The Senior Partner's final plans."

"Apocalypse?"

"Yes, but not in the biblical sense." Spike clarified. "End of days. When humans will completely rule creation and lay spoil to it all."

"What?"

"The existence of your slayers will cause that."

"God…, is it so wrong?" Buffy asked.

"What?"

"Is it so wrong? That I have some help?" Buffy continued. "That I don't have to do this alone?"

"Buffy, you don't understand at all, do you?"

"What's to understand?" Buffy whimpered. "You're telling me you're here to destroy me and my slayers. You're telling me you're practically undefeatable. You're telling me I'm responsible for an apocalypse, excuse me if I don't get it at first."

Spike stared into Buffy's eyes and saw the confusion and tiredness he'd seen in several other versions of her, but there was a completely different light in them. Something he hadn't seen before.

"The death wish is gone." He muttered and looked away. "You having help is not that bad, slayer, but it's disrupting the natural order of things."

"Care to explain?"

"You know there are two major players dealing with fate. You know them as the Powers That Be and the Senior Partners. You'd be amazed as to what things and events are caused by each. Only difference is the Powers are interested in every life form on creation. The Partners are specifically interested in humans."

"Why?"

"The Powers are loyal believers in balance and the natural order of things. They respect nature and play by the rules. The Partners, on the other hand, want everything for themselves, much like humans do."

Buffy nodded.

"Demons serve a purpose in creation, slayer." Spike continued. "Even if you may not believe it, they are part of a natural order. These days, in the dawn of the twenty first century, humans are atop the food chain. Their only known predators are themselves."

"Uh, and demons?"

"I'm getting to that." Spike said. "The specific mistake in this reality, the cause of the disruption of Balance is that because of the existence of your slayers, human's supernatural predators are losing the battle."

Buffy had a look of shock on her face as the words registered.

"Humans are very much like rabbits." Spike elaborated. "They breed and breed and have found ways to delay death and the much needed balance between their race and the others. Think about it, slayer. The population of demons decrease, the supernatural predator, and the population of humans increase exponentially. As humans increase, the natural resources decrease, and I guess you don't need me to explain where that would lead them."

"We'd overpopulate…" Buffy whispered.

"And humans are not as civilized as animals." Spike kept talking. "They don't understand they're overpopulating their planet. They don't understand they're consuming their resources faster than the earth can replace them. They don't know they're becoming a plague on their own home."

"And this is…?"

"One slayer kept the balance in check, slayer. Like I said, animals know when they're too many and act on it. Most animals have their natural predators, but humankind doesn't. Those they had, you and your slayers decimated."

"What…?"

"How many demons have you killed on your lifetime?" Spike asked. "Millions?"

Buffy couldn't answer the question.

"I know vampires also kill millions. Those who manage to become masters have slaughtered countless humans. But on a balanced ratio, one slayer against vampires and demons was a fair trade. You fought for humans and stopped vampires from overpopulating. Vampires and demons killed humans and stopped them from doing the same. But without predators? What happens?"

Buffy sighed and covered her face with her hands.

"If I don't stop this," Spike continued. "If I don't manage to slaughter your slayers, I will have to lower the population a notch or two. The senior partners are very interested on this plane, and they're seeing a lot of profit in it."

"Profit?" Buffy's head shot up.

"The Partners coin of choice are human souls." Spike continued. "Imagine a world filled only with humans. The numbers are mind boggling."

"Is there something I can do? Something we can do?" She asked, her voice small.

"I am already doing what I can." Spike answered. "Your slayers have proved to be too tough for my army. The next step is mine. Should I stop the army, I will have to direct it against normal humans. Half of the planet's population would be wiped off."

"You know I wouldn't let you." Buffy said.

"I have my ways, slayer." Spike honestly replied. "I destroyed London already. Besides, I don't have to actually walk this earth to destroy it."

Buffy's mind immediately flashed to the world's arsenal.

"Nuclear weapons, luv." Spike nodded. "It wouldn't take that much effort."

Buffy looked away, knowing there was very little she could do in such a situations. Still, she refused to quit so easily and tried to find a way out of the problem.

"In all honesty, I've been bollocksin' up this whole mission." Spike chuckled. "I should have already finished it. I should have murdered all slayers but one by now, but something has me off."

"Annie."

"I guess that's it." Spike confessed. "There's also someone else here. Someone I've seen before."

"Wesley."

"Are you reading my mind?" Spike growled. "I saw him in hell, eons ago. I never thought I'd see him again. More accurately, that version of him."

"You're back home, Spike." Buffy said. "This is your home. That's why you're so confused."

Spike opened his mouth, but he couldn't find the words to speak. The girl in his arms stirred and his eyes were fixed back on her.

"I can't believe it." Spike softly said. "I don't know what's real anymore. I've been doing this for so long. I've seen realities I didn't want to destroy, and yet had to. I've killed billions, Buffy. Humans, Slayers, demons, even races I didn't know existed. How do I know I'm not in hell anymore?"

"Look at the girl in your arms, Spike." Buffy replied. "Tell me if she could be in hell."

"You don't know what hell looks like, slayer." Spike looked away. "The worst mask is that of innocence. I know it all too well."

"Then forget what you see." Buffy countered. "What do you feel, Spike? What do you feel when you're with this girl?"

Spike closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Even if what you say is true, I can't forget my mission." Spike said. "You know it as well. You're the general fighting against me. I can't let this feeling get in the way."

The vampire opened his eyes and brought them back to the slayer.

"I can't let myself get attached to this child I barely know. I can't let myself wonder what it'd be like if I am truly her father. I may be forced to slaughter her tomorrow. You may not believe me, but I'm getting tired of killing you."

Buffy stared into his eyes, and saw the same sadness she remembered seeing in them fifteen years ago.

"Every night I kill you, slayer. Every night."

End of Chapter


	78. Power of Love

Chapter 77 Power of Love 

**A/N: **Chapter seventy seven of the series.

Ok, some things I was recently made aware of.

1) True, at the beginning of the story, Angel uses AC on his office. I thought of it because as the story has implied, he misses his vampiric condition.

2) The principal's meeting. Plot device to show Annie's behavior. Like I said, don't know how they manage things in London's schools.

3) Giles' office. The general idea was based on Angel's office when he was at Wolfram & Hart. One large office with everything jammed in it. Never thought too much about it.

**Disclaimer: **All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback: **Sure, as you wish.

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Somewhere in London, England

December 2017

Dawn Summers saw the slayers head out to higher ground, hoping the desperate plan would work.

The blue eyed woman sighed, knowing she was supposed to be running next to them, Faith's eyes still fixed on her as the dark haired slayer ran behind the remaining slayers.

'I have somewhere else to be.' Dawn thought, nodding softly and smiling when Faith nodded back. She knew the slayers were well led by the one slayer. Most of them forgot Faith was The Slayer, and all of them slayers who shared the power with her. They followed Buffy because she was the longest living slayer in history, but the one who had the power and the calling was Faith, and Dawn made a mental note about making that fact very well known.

Faith was no longer the enemy. She was a proud leader who could lead them all to great things. Plus, Buffy could use the break, seeing how Spike's appearance and the true origins of her niece would require lots of Buffy-mum time.

And there was something still bothering her on the back of her head. Connor and Wesley had abducted her from Italy, under the guise of using her against the enemy. She had dismissed their ideas, but recent developments could be considered as conclusive evidence on their behalf.

---------------------

Buffy couldn't bear to look any more at the tired vampire sitting on the wet floor of a destroyed tunnel. She couldn't see him, holding his daughter, and knowing they would have to fight for the sake of the world. She had heard the words, had heard his reasons, and knew he had a mission, much like she did.

The vampire stared at the woman sitting next to him, and forced his mind to filter all the memories he'd acquired while being an enforcer for the Powers and tried to fight back the fog of pain acquired during his time on hell. Maybe if he focused hard enough, he could travel back in time and remember what he'd felt for the woman.

In his time in hell, he was sure he saw her every time he closed his eyes. He didn't remember it all, or more accurately, he didn't want to remember what had happened while he was in that place. There was only pain, in several ways, specifically designed to hurt him.

People didn't know or didn't want to believe in hell, but it was different for every individual. It was bent on destroying him, and it seemed to have succeeded, because he didn't want to think about it.

Sighing, Spike erased all thoughts from his mind and brought himself back to the there and then. He slowly stood up and cradled the girl closer to his chest. He dared one last glance at her face and felt a small ounce of hope stir on his dead body.

He almost wanted her to wake up, so he could look at her eyes and see if they were a mirror of his own. He knew he would never see his face again, but looking at her, it made him think there was a reason for every thing he had done.

Maybe she was his redemption after all, the only good thing he had done in all his cursed existence.

"Take your child, slayer." Spike softly said, shaking Buffy out of her thoughts. "Take her and your husband and leave."

"What will you do?" The slayer asked as she too stood up.

"What I have to." Spike replied as he handed Annie to her mother's arms. "Go back. Take your slayers and rest. In twelve hours I will strike again. For good."

"Is there anything I can do?" Buffy asked as she held her daughter close. "Anything at all to make you reconsider?"

"It is far too late for you to do anything." Spike sighed.

"There is always time." Buffy answered. "There was always time between you and me."

"We don't know that for sure, do we?" He chuckled. "Seems you're as surprised as I am with the latest developments."

"I had suspected long enough." Buffy admitted. "But it was impossible. By natural standards."

"So we were manipulated." Spike sighed. "Figures."

"But I don't regret it." Buffy said. "If being manipulated produced her, I don't care. Neither should you."

"I don't know her." Spike softly said. "I'm afraid I won't have the time to know her at all. I'm afraid I'll make her an orphan in a couple hours. I think she will hate me for what I have to do. That's not what a father does."

"I grew up without a father." Buffy began speaking. "Dawn did as well. Annie had a caricature of a father. Could you at least grant her a good memory of her real father?"

Spike frowned.

"Let me fight, Spike." Buffy continued. "That's what I'm good at. Let me and my girls fight for our rights. Let us fight for the world."

"Your world is already damned, Buffy." Spike replied. "My very presence here is its death warrant. I'm the executioner. I am the slayer of slayers, Buffy. I'm here to do what I do best."

"That's not true." Buffy countered. "I know what you do best. I know it because it's here, in my arms."

"What? I do babies?"

"No, you dope." Buffy chuckled. "Your loyalty. Your faith. Your love. I didn't see it before. I was a scared girl trying to be a woman, but all the things that I never let myself see in you? I see them in my daughter. In our daughter. I'm sure you'll fight until you've given everything, but guess what? So will she."

"All you're telling me is that I'll have to destroy a miracle." Spike sadly said. "You should get her as far away from here as possible, slayer. I know you can do it. Leave, the two of you."

"What?"

"Leave." Spike repeated. "Be the ones that live."

"I can't leave everything and everyone behind." Buffy replied. "I can't abandon my friends. I can't abandon the world."

"But you would endanger your child?" Spike growled. "Is the world more important than your child? Are your slayers?"

"That's not what I meant!" Buffy growled back. "I can't run and leave them alone! That's not what I do!"

"That's not what heroes do?" Spike mockingly asked. "Is that what you wanted to say?"

"Maybe not in those words, but yes."

"You know what a hero is, slayer?" Spike hissed. "A hero is the one who couldn't run fast enough, Buffy. A hero is the one who had nothing to lose and nothing to win. A hero is the one who doesn't care about those he or she loves. A hero is the one who has a death wish."

"You don't know what you're talking about." Buffy said.  
"Don't I?" Spike laughed. "I know a hero and a martyr when I see one, slayer. I have no respect for the hero who dies fighting and facing the sunset. I don't understand how a sacrifice can help when there is so much to be done. I don't understand how you claim to love your daughter and yet are willing to endanger her."

"Of course you wouldn't understand." Buffy spat. "You don't have a soul."

Spike laughed out loud again.

"Now you're being stupid." Spike gasped for air. "Your precious Angelus has a soul, slayer, and look at him."

Buffy opened her mouth but nothing came out of it. Her brain was still processing what had to be done with Angel and now Spike was pouring salt on an open wound.

"That breaks your heart, doesn't it?" Spike asked. "There's the true monster, slayer. The viciousness of a vampire is not because of the demon but because of the man. A vampire could live happily drinking the blood of cows and pigs, slayer, but it's the man inside who wants destruction. It's the man inside who is drunk on power. You don't slay demons, Buffy, you slay men and women."

"You lie." Buffy hissed.

"You know I don't." Spike growled. "And the evidence lies behind you. Drusilla didn't turn him. She didn't need him. She just missed her daddy, and your beloved Angel was so tired of playing nice that he jumped at the chance as soon as it faced him. And yet Dru didn't fall so low as to turn him."

Buffy looked away, feeling her security and her defenses down, leaving her completely vulnerable in front of a deadly vampire.

"So there it is, slayer." Spike said, his voice low. "That's a hero for you."

"You shouldn't talk so much, Spike." Buffy said as she turned around, tears in her eyes. "You went out and faced the sunset."

"What?"

"You say you don't remember." She continued. "But I know what you did. You went and faced death because you had nothing to win and nothing to lose. That's what you said, wasn't it? You a hero, then, Spike?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Maybe it happened thousands of years ago for you, but it was fifteen years ago for me." Buffy said. "I saw you turn to dust in front of me because of…, for love, Spike. You gave your life for love. Are you trying to tell me you had a death wish? Or you merely gave up?"

"Guess you should be the one to answer that question, slayer." Spike growled. "Seeing how it is you who remembers."

"That's what you say, sure. But you don't have a bit of curiosity? Haven't you ever asked why you were in hell?"

The question shocked Spike and he knew he'd been discovered in a lie. Of course he wondered what had happened. Of course he wanted to know what had caused thousands of years of pain. Of course he wanted to know.

"Maybe I pushed you too far." Buffy said. "Maybe I asked too much of you, or maybe I didn't kill you when I had to. Maybe I am to blame for everything that has happened, but I'm trying to take responsibility for it. Annie exists because of you, Spike, that much I know. She's here because you said you loved me. She's here because…"

"Don't lie and say you loved me." Spike growled. "I don't know what happened between you and me, but I've seen what different versions of you have done to other Spikes."

"I don't know what I felt for you." Buffy honestly said. "I don't know what I wanted to feel. I wasn't sure of many things, and I can tell you that the existence of that man back there confused the hell out of me. Angel was a forbidden fruit I was not ready to let go. I believed in the purity of a girl's first love. I believed he was the one for me, you know? Capital 'O'?"

"I know what he is." Spike said. "I know what you are. I know what I am. Angelus has never loved anyone except himself and maybe Darla. I've seen you learn that the hard way. I've seen it too many times, and yet it seems he's your soulmate."

Buffy frowned.

"In every reality I've visited, he's the one you love." He continued. "I have seen countless versions of myself drag themselves at your feet and you have never looked back. I have seen what I meant to you and those other parts of you. Exactly nothing. And I don't mean vampires and slayers, luv, I've seen human sides of you and me, and the result is always the same."

Spike limped to where Angelus lied on the floor, knelt down next to him and picked his head by the hair.

"This man is the only one you'll ever love." Spike said, sadness in his voice. "I know it, but parts of me didn't. I saw them throw their lives away for you, I saw them beg for crumbles, I saw them change and I even saw one version of me win a soul for you, and for what?"

Spike let go of Angelus' hair and stood up straight.

"For nothing, slayer. For squat. That's why that girl in your arms is so unique. Because she's the only evidence of the love a stupid vampire or a stupid man had for you." Spike growled. "You ask me if I want to remember? Sure I do. But I don't want to remember it all. I don't want to know what I did that granted me hell. I don't want to see what you did to me. I know I loved you once but I don't know what to feel now that I see you."

"Then look at your daughter." Buffy softly said. "She's all that's good in you and in me."

"Then save her." Spike stared deeply into Buffy's eyes. "Don't let me kill her."

Silence stretched between the two of them and Spike listened to the three heartbeats surrounding him. From the looks of it, Buffy was no longer nervous and the girl in her arms was moments away from waking up.

"Angelus needs medical attention." Spike reminded her. "That is, if you want him to live."

Buffy nodded, feeling numbness settling in her body and knew she had to act before she lost it. Something ran down the length of her spine and knew a sister slayer was close, and not just any slayer.

"Dawn." Buffy whispered and looked up.

"Wha?"

"She's close." Buffy said and walked back towards Spike. "Could you hold her again? Just until I get Angel, uh, Angelus out of here?"

Spike looked at hazel eyes and nodded, extending his arms and taking the precious charge. The vampire once again felt drawn to the innocent face and closed his eyes.

'I wish I could have more time.' He thought. 'I wish I could talk to you and know you a bit more. I don't want to kill you.'

He wondered if he could get to love her if he had the time, and wondered if she could love him as well.

He shook his head, knowing too well what love did. Anyone stupid enough to hold the knife called love would get cut sooner or later.

Opening his eyes, he noticed how the slayer had already managed to pull Angelus from underneath the debris and was carrying him in her shoulder, firefighter style.

"Care to bring her to the open?" She asked. Spike nodded and followed her. He stared at the moonlight coming from the large gash on the tunnel's ceiling and wondered how large the crater would look from the surface.

His eyes caught something the very moment the demon inside warned him about his natural enemy. A slayer had appeared.

"Dawn!" Buffy shouted. "Are you there?"

"Buffy?" Dawn shouted back. "Where the hell are you?"

"Still underground." Buffy replied. "Give us a hand, ok?"

"Us? You found Annie?"

"And Angel and Spike." Buffy replied. She heard a soft gasp and stared at her sister's face as she stood directly beneath the large hole.

"You didn't kill him?" Dawn asked, seeing Angel's unconscious form in Buffy's arms.

"Yeah, just knocked out." Buffy said as she tried to find something to stand on so she could hand her husband to her sister. Spotting a small mountain of bricks, she carefully climbed it and outstretched her arms, hoping Dawn could reach Angel.

"Ugh, got him." Dawn grunted as she grabbed Angel's shirt and pulled him up. She dumped him unceremoniously to the side and held her hand down for Buffy to take.

"Wait, let me get Annie." Buffy replied and hopped off the mountain of bricks. Dawn followed her sister with her eyes and then something in the back of her mind alerted her of a vampire's presence. She smiled, knowing she'd see Spike again.

But the smile turned into another small gasp when she saw Spike's condition and Annie unconscious in his arms.

"Is she ok?" She asked. Buffy nodded as Spike and her climbed atop the bricks and handed the girl to Dawn.

"Up you go, slayer." Spike said, looking into her eyes.

"What will happen?" She softly asked.

"Told you. Twelve hours." Spike replied. Buffy sighed and nodded, knowing there was nothing else she could do.

"Here, let me help." Spike said and picked her by the waist and lifted her easily. Buffy smiled and reached out for her sister's hand, who easily pulled her up.

"And you?" Buffy asked. "Let's get you out of there."

Spike thought about playing the tough guy and telling them he could very well get out of there without help, but he was far too injured to try it. He would have to commit 'healing suicide' soon and didn't want to do it in a sewer. Maybe he'd ask Dru to behead him. It was the quickest and less painful way to go.

Looking up, he saw Buffy's outstretched hand and he took it, something flashing in his mind about a moment lost long ago between the two of them, and smiled because it was a good memory in the midst of a million bad ones.

Then his eyes fell on Dawn's hand, also stretching for him, and more good memories appeared, but they were of a young girl, not the beautiful woman smiling back at him.

As his hand reached for Dawn's, the strangest thing happened.

When skin touched skin, Spike's hand burst out in flame, which quickly spread out through his entire body.

Horror appeared on the two women's faces, as they couldn't do a thing to prevent the fire to consume Spike's body.

Buffy opened her mouth, but Spike's hand let go of her, and all the slayer could do was watch Spike burn and turn to dust again.

End of Chapter

**A/N2:** I know I said I wouldn't mention those who review but right now I have no choice. I was nicely asked to check a story named Slayer:Hybrid, but I have absolutely no idea where to look for it, so, if you're still reading, send me an email or tell me where to find it so I can read it. Thanks.


	79. Touch of an Angel

Chapter 78 Touch of an Angel 

**A/N: **Chapter seventy eight of the series. Remember everything happens for a reason.

**Disclaimer: **All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback: **Sure, as you wish.

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Somewhere in London, England

December 2017

Dawn and Buffy stared at the burning ashes scattering on the wind, not knowing what had just happened.

Dawn looked at her own hand and expected to find a horrible burn in it, but there was nothing. If ever, it was cleaner than before.

"What the…?" Buffy asked, her voice barely audible. "He…"

"He burst into flame." Dawn whispered. "I touched him, and he…"

"My god, Dawnie, what happened?"

"I have no idea." Dawn kept whispering. "I only touched him…"

The wheels in Dawn's head began to spin and she tried to focus on the logical thinking, instead of the feelings of helplessness and pain that were threatening to take control.

"Did you…? What were you doing?" Buffy asked.

"There's no magic in this." Dawn hissed. "I have an idea about what is happening, and I need answers, right now."

Buffy frowned as she heard her sister growl, but she nodded and stood up and followed her.

---------------------

"Now this has been a colossal waste of time." Connor said as he walked through the deserted and charred streets of what had once been London.

"We're hunting, Connor." Wesley said. "You could lower your voice."

"Right, like I'm scaring the dragons away with my voice." Connor chuckled. "Like we've even seen a dragon in all this time."

"Maybe if you restrained your throat from making all those noises." Illyria said, uncharacteristically bothered by Connor. "We should divide and scan the grounds."

"You said that an hour ago." Wesley cut her words. "I said no. We stay together."

"I still don't understand your logic." Illyria replied. "The human pup's vulnerability to fire is of no concern to me."

"We still need him." Wesley said. "Dragons are not stupid. They won't attack us."

"What, so I'm bait?" Connor asked.

"Precisely." Wesley replied. "Dragons would know Illyria and I are fire proof and wouldn't waste their time getting near us. You, on the other hand…"

"You know, I hate it when people don't tell me what's going on." Connor sighed. "I'm not a kid anymore."

"You have to learn when to speak and when to be quiet." Wesley said. "Like right now? It's a good time to be quiet."

"Right, right. I'll, uh, take the lead so the dragons can see vulnerable me and come for me. Hope you react fast and all."

Connor walked faster and slowed his pace when he was a few yards ahead of them. Wesley breathed deeply with relief and tried to control the bubbling thing inside of him. Connor's tirades and his very nature was making the thing nervous, causing Wesley's mind to be split between focusing on the mission and keeping himself under control.

"He's only slowing us." Illyria suddenly said. "He's a liability."

"He's bait, as he so carefully put it." Wesley replied. "I know you can kill a dragon on your own, but then again, so do they. They won't come near you if we don't have…"

"Bait, I know." The blue goddess replied. "He infuriates me."

"You liked him once." Wesley softly said. "The shell you live in."

"So many years." Illyria said as she fixed her unnatural blue eyes on him. "And you still mourn her and hate me for living."

Wesley did not reply, and merely kept walking. The two of them usually reached such a stalemate, where she would ask and we would remain in silence, until she caught the hint and wouldn't talk again, sometimes even for days.

"Stop." Illyria said. The command surprised Wesley and he unconsciously did as she asked. Seemed it wasn't one of those times, after all.

"You disregard my words." She said. "You ignore me and I have never been ignored. I have allowed it because it confused me, but that will not happen any more."

She walked towards him with a murderous intent in her eyes and Wesley figured he had pushed her too far this time.

"The other may fear you, but I don't." She continued, her voice cold. "Now answer me or die!"

Wesley's features hardened and for a nanosecond his brain ordered him to turn around and wait for the deadly blow, but something in her made him stop and reconsider.

Was she actually angry at him because he didn't talk to her?

What was he, her husband?

"Are you serious?" Was all he managed to say, something tugging at his mouth. "What is this all about?"

Something flickered on one of her eyes and the effect would have been comical had she not been a deadly goddess who could punch his head away.

"This is about you disregarding my words." Illyria said, the tone of her voice climbing. "This is about you ignoring my commands and walking away from me."

Wesley frowned and noticed the color in her cheeks was climbing. A smirk appeared on his face and he figured the years of living on a human body had been taking its toll on her.

"What are you smiling about!" She demanded, and he could now see a full blush on her face. He was far too amused and had been expecting such reactions, but she was still too volatile, and he didn't want to be killed until he found out more about it.

"What is it you want me to say?" He asked, keeping his tone down.

"Why do you hate me?" She asked, and even she was surprised by the raw honesty in her words.

"I don't hate you." Wesley replied. "That's the truth. It disturbs me when I see her in you, and every time I have to remind me that it's not her. That it's you."

"And you hate me for it."

"No, no." Wesley shook his head. "You're probably the only thing that's keeping me from going completely insane."

"The only thing?"

"The only one." Wesley sighed. "You're the only one who puts up with my moods. Well, until now."

"You confuse me." Illyria said. "You're also the only human who stands being around me. You're the only one I can talk to. You're the only one who answers to me as if I was a human."

"You live in a human's body." Wesley said. "You live in her body. You have her memories. You look like a human. Maybe I find no difference between a human and a goddess in you."

"That's an insult." Illyria said as her head titled to a side. "And yet I find no malice in it."

"I didn't know you had feelings to be hurt. You don't display them at all."

"They are foreign to me." She revealed. "They have been in here since I opened these eyes, but they seem to fight with my intellect for control of this body."

"Emotions will do that to you." Wesley snorted. "That's why I have to keep the thing under control."

Illyria nodded and looked away, obviously uncomfortable for revealing such things to the man who continuously ignored her.

"It's all right, you know." He said. "You've been living among us for over a decade. Humans tend to be contagious."

"Like the plague." Illyria replied. Wesley smiled and for a second he thought he saw a faint trace of a smile on her face, which disappeared as fast as it had appeared.

"Guys?"

Connor's voice brought them out of their moment and they turned to where they heard his voice. They noticed they had stopped walking and he was actually very far away from where they stood.

"Is he in trouble?" She asked.

"Don't think so." He replied as they both resumed walking. "Can't feel anything."

"I feel something." Illyria corrected. "Slayers."

Wesley's frown deepened and he remembered telling them he would take care of the dragons. Sure, he hadn't made too much progress in that, but he wondered what could have possessed them to come out looking for him.

As they approached Connor, they realized there were two slayers and two other.

"Buffy? Dawn?" Wesley asked. "How did you find us?"

"Sheer luck." Buffy replied. "Even though we can feel you, Wesley, as much as you can feel us."

"What do you want?" Wesley asked, looking above.

"Answers." Dawn replied. "I want to know why you brought me into this."

Wesley turned his eyes toward Connor, not knowing what to say.

"Connor?" Dawn asked, her arms crossed. Behind her, a recently awakened Annie as leaning on her mother for support, her ears hurting because of the earlier explosion. Connor was kneeling besides his unconscious father.

"You caught him." He said, not acknowledging Dawn's question. "What happened to him?"

"Spike happened." Buffy replied. "Connor, answer my sister's question."

Connor frowned as he stared at his father's body, and noticed his chest going up and down.

"Is that a reflex?" He asked, still not wanting to look at Dawn and the slayer.

"Normally, yes. We all breathe unconsciously." Dawn replied, but then she turned to stare at her sister. "Why is he breathing?"

"I don't want to discuss that right now." Buffy said, fearing what the truth may do to her daughter in that specific moment. "Right now I have something else in my mind entirely."

She pulled Connor by his shirt and forced him to stand up in front of her. Connor's eyes flew open as he stared at Buffy's hard face. He was physically stronger than the average slayer now that he was a full grown adult, but he still was weaker than the very long lived and powerful Buffy Summers.

"Why did you bring my sister into this?" She hissed rather than asking. "What forced you to call her?"

Connor looked at her and then at Wesley. He still felt ashamed from mentioning his mother after the horrible things he had done in his life, but he realized something had happened that had Dawn questioning her involvement.

"I was told she was our secret weapon." Connor revealed. Dawn looked away and Buffy frowned.

"Who told you that?"

Connor doubted and didn't know what to say when a hand touched Buffy's shoulder.

"I told him."

Buffy turned around and came face to face with one of least pair of eyes she expected to see ever again.

"Darla?"

"Could you please let my son go?" Darla asked, moving her hand from Buffy's shoulder to her hand. Buffy didn't know what to say as she felt a warm hand on top of her own. If she didn't know any better, she could have sworn it felt the same as her mother's hands.

"Let him go." Darla repeated. "I will explain everything to you."

The others looked completely surprised at the vampire who now looked very much like a higher being.

"Are you…?"

"Seems like it." Darla answered Buffy's unfinished question. "The Powers gave me a second chance."

"Which I misused." Connor muttered. Buffy looked at them and slowly let him go.

"I want answers." Buffy repeated.

"I heard you the first time." Darla chuckled and checked her son. "I asked Connor to bring Dawn into this conflict."

"May I ask why?" Dawn asked. She knew she had never physically met Darla, but she remembered her breaking and entering into her Sunnydale home years ago.

"The outcome of this battle was uncertain." Darla began speaking after she made sure Connor was all right. "This reality is diametrically opposed to those others our enforcer visited."

"Enforcer? You mean Spike?" Dawn asked.

"Spike, William the Bloody." Darla nodded. "Had I known what he would become I would have paid more attention to him."

"And?" Dawn asked impatiently.

"A different setting may set him off." Darla continued. "He's always been harsh and reckless, and you may not know it by now, but he's fairly unstoppable."

"He comes back every time he's killed." Buffy revealed. Dawn and Annie nodded as the others frowned.

"It doesn't matter how many times he's brought down. He will come back and finish the job."

"He's a hound of hell." Wesley stated.

"Our natural opposite." Darla nodded. "He's a damned creature. He belongs in hell."

"We know that." Buffy said. "What has Dawn got to do with all of this?"

"Damned creatures are vulnerable to the purest of human emotions." Darla said.

"Love." Dawn said, something in her stomach turning.

"Those he loved will burn him as he touches them." Darla revealed.

"I touched him." Buffy suddenly said. "And he didn't burn."

Dawn looked at her sister, everything inside of her spinning.

"Guess that's how much he loved me, huh?"

"Oh, Buffy, you have never understood." Darla sighed, and looked at Buffy with a mixture of sadness and pity before she spoke again.

"It only works with those who actually loved him back."

End of Chapter.


	80. Everywhere

Chapter 79 Everywhere 

**A/N: **Chapter seventy nine of the series. I have received encouraging emails and reviews regarding the length of this story. I want to thank you all again. We're approaching the end, so I guess we won't be reaching the 100th chapter mark. I hope.

**Disclaimer: **All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback: **Sure, as you wish.

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Somewhere in London, England

December 2017

Dawn heard the words and felt a mixture of sadness and anger swell inside of her.

Darla, an awful vampire had turned into an angel. Angelus, the sickest bastard she'd ever met married her sister and brought up a beautiful daughter. Drusilla was still undead, roaming the planet without supervision, and it turned out she burnt Spike because she loved him.

That was decidedly not fair.

"In a nutshell, I hurt him because I love him." Dawn said. Darla nodded and no one else dared to look into her eye.

"It's part of his trials." Darla said. "You are his final test."

"What?" Buffy asked. "What has Dawn got to do with this?"

"You must already know about a thing called karma, Buffy." Darla said. "We all face trials regarding our sins. Yours and Angel's was arrogance, and now you're paying for it. I am still paying for mine. Spike's greatest asset and greatest weakness was love. There are very few beings who actually loved him."

"Dawn." Buffy said, desperately wanting to say her own name, but the proof had appeared moments before. Her touch didn't hurt Spike.

"I would have to say Drusilla." The slayer continued.

"She's damned as well." Darla shook her head. "She's not, well, as pure as this girl here."

Dawn blushed.

"She loves him." Darla continued. "His mother once loved him, and that ended horribly. Drusilla loves him but she's a damned creature. The other one is an angel as well."

"Who?" Dawn asked.

"Your mother."

----------------------

Spike groaned as he opened his eyes and he was once again in the middle of the destroyed city.

He looked around and figured very few little time had gone by since his last demise, and he rationalized his job there still wasn't finished. Rubbing his tired eyes, he flinched when his hand hurt. He immediately checked it and found a hand shaped burn in it.

Frowning, he remembered how he had died last time, and his mind quickly tried to provide an answer as to why Dawn's touch had burnt him. Earlier in the battle, they had touched and she had hurt him as well, but there had been no lasting effects.

He kept staring at the red mark on his hand and his mind once again flashed back to those small moments he had tried to kept in his mind. He closed his eyes and a very young Dawn appeared on his mind's eye, smiling at him.

"I don't like it any more than you do."

The female's voice startled Spike and he quickly spun around, his eyes yellow by the time he'd opened them.

The blue returned as Spike recognized the woman standing in front of him.

"It's been a long time, Joyce."

"Far too long, Spike." Joyce replied. "I see you've met my daughter here."

"A rather painful meeting, yes." The vampire nodded. "I didn't know she could do that."

"You've done a good job." The angel said. "You've been a faithful servant for the Powers."

"More like a sodding lapdog, but here I am."

"Five thousand years, Spike." Joyce said. "I'd say you've done your time."

"That's a long time." Spike whistled. "So this is it? I've done my job and back to my hellish cage?"

"More choices will come your way." The light being corrected. "I don't know what will happen, but you will have a choice. You'll get a second chance."

"A second chance at what?" Spike honestly asked. "You've kept me sane, Joyce, but I don't know what else to do. I'm your assassin. You order, I obey. We've been doing this for ever."

"I know, and I don't like this any more than you do, but I have to tell you the truth." Joyce sighed. "I was the one who chose you for this job. I was the one who spoke of you to the Order. I am the one to blame for your continuous punishment."

"Well, if I had to choose from that hell to this hell? I'd pick this one every day of the week." Spike chuckled.

"I'm sorry, Spike, I really am."

"No sweat." Spike shrugged. "Now, care to tell me why I have this burn in my hand?"

Joyce didn't reply. She merely walked closer to the vampire and carefully touched his leather clad shoulder.

Smoke immediately appeared and Spike growled before jumping away.  
"What the hell was that!" He exclaimed.

"More things you have to be careful about." Joyce replied. "You can't let Dawn touch you."

"Seems I should be more careful about you."

"In all this time, I had not touched you because I know what that does to you." Joyce admitted. "Now that I have your attention, I think we can talk about a way to end this conflict once and for all."

-------------------

Buffy remained in silence as those around her discussed what was happening and what could they do. She heard Dawn retelling her idea to Wesley and saw the man's surprise when he heard the idea was originally Spike's. She saw Darla standing in the middle and wondered what had she done to deserve becoming and angel.

She was being unfair, she knew that much, maybe Darla had been subject to the same type of torture Spike had been. Time moved all too differently in the multiverse.

She tried to convince herself and her body that she was trying to find a way to end the war, but the truth was she was trying not to think about what had happened.

She didn't burn Spike.

She didn't burn Spike.

That meant she had never loved him. That meant she had lied to herself, to her mind and soul. She had lied to everyone else.

But if that was the case, what was the point in them giving Annie to her? What was the purpose of allowing a daughter of them to exist?

Buffy felt dirty. Annie was born because Spike had loved her too much. Annie was indeed his reward, his redemption. Buffy had thought Annie was the mixture of all that was good in the two of them, but now she realized she was only the good in Spike.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She whispered. "Why did you let me find out this way?"

The slayer looked at her hands and thought of herself as only a person of mass destruction. She had used her hands and mouth to destroy, and she knew she hadn't only hurt Spike. She had been too careless with her power, too careless with her feelings, too narrow minded to see beyond her own nose.

She looked at the unconscious creature on the floor, and wondered how she could have been so blind. She stared at Angel's face and realized she had never known him. He was as weak as she was, that much she knew. They were not heroes. They had been given power, and when you give power to the weak, they were the result.

She had screwed up big time, but maybe it wasn't too late.

------------------

"Talk about anti climatic." Spike muttered.

"You could be the only one who could convince her." Joyce said. "I've already told her about this possibility. Seems to me you don't want to kill any of them."

"I may not want to." Spike clicked his tongue. "But that doesn't mean I won't. I have done it far too many times."

"But will you kill your daughter?"

"You knew about that?" Spike narrowed his eyes. "Well, of course you did, but you could have told me."

"There was no point to it." Joyce shook her head. "You had a job to do. I couldn't distract you from it."

"And what do you call what you're doing now?"

"I'm giving you a choice." Joyce clarified. "A chance. Like you did."

"I did what?"

"The chance you gave your daughter. You told her how to survive."

Spike frowned.

"Don't think the nibelung thing escaped us." Joyce smiled. "You didn't want that girl to die."

"I don't want her to." Spike nodded. "But that's not how you play. That's not how your superiors play. If they give the order, I would have to tear this planet apart. You've ordered it before. I've done it before."

"There are more options here." Joyce said. "I'm giving you one. You have already walked this path, Spike. It's up to you if you want to take what I'm offering."

"Let's say I agree. What about her?"

"That's up to you as well."

--------------------

Buffy was still chastising herself when a soft light appeared in the distance. Unlike the other times when the angels had appeared in the middle of blinding flashes, this time the creature transported gave off a minimum amount of light.

Carefully checking around, Buffy saw no one else had noticed except Annie, who was curiously staring at her mother.

Buffy nodded and both she and her daughter quietly walked towards the lone figure standing.

As they approached, Buffy's stomach jumped when she recognized Spike's features. She wondered if the light was a side effect of every time he was brought back.

"Slayer." Spike greeted. "Sweet pea."

"Hi Spike." Buffy softly said. Annie's head gave a little nod which was returned by Spike.

"We need to talk." Spike said. "Uh, alone."

"I don't want any more lies between us." Buffy said. "Annie stays. She needs to hear this."

"You don't know what I'm going to talk about."

"Let me talk first, then." Buffy said. "There's so much left unsaid between you and me, Spike. So much."

"I'm listening."

"There's no easy way to say this." Buffy fidgeted. "But I guess it has to be said. I never loved you, Spike. I'm sorry."

"That much I knew." Spike nodded. "I don't remember it all but I remember pain every time I think of you."

"I thought I did." Buffy continued. "I thought there was some part of me that could love you, after what you did for me…"

"What was it?" Spike asked, his curiosity clawing at him. "What did I do?"

"You gave your life for me." Buffy replied. "You gave your everything for me because you loved me, and I was too stupid not to see it."

"That's what I did?" Spike seemed surprised.

"You traded your life for another. You gave your life so Angel could be human."

"What?" Spike almost shrieked. "I did what?"

"You loved me so much, Spike, in your own way." Buffy continued. "You believed I couldn't love you, and now I know you were right, so you tried to make me happy the only way you could. You gave me Angel."

"I did that? Was I brain damaged or what?"

"No, Spike. I was the one who destroyed you." Buffy sighed. "Looking back at it, I had killed you before you turned to dust. I had destroyed you, and forced you to give up."

"I gave up?" Spike was thoroughly shocked. "Guess that explains why I went to hell. I was a coward."

"You were everything for me, Spike." Buffy said. "You where everywhere I needed you to be. But I was selfish and hard. I never did let go of a love that had hurt me so bad. I did to you what Angel had done to me. I took your love for granted and never gave myself a chance to grow up and try to be happy."

"Why are you telling me this?" Spike softly asked. "You want me to kill you? Or are you trying to rationalize what happened?"

"I want to understand why I was blessed with your child if I was so cruel to you." Buffy relied, her voice as soft as Spike's. Annie looked away as her doubts were cleared by her mother's words.

"Look at him, Annie." Buffy said. "He is your father."

"Don't tell her that." Spike felt sick. "The girl loves Angelus as much as you do. From what you're telling me, he's the only one you'll ever love. Seems he's the one she'll always love as a father."

"She may love him always, but she deserves to know why she was born." Buffy continued. "She deserves to know she is the product of your love. You need her to know."

"I don't…"

"I didn't mean it like that." She interrupted. "You deserve it. She has to know."

"What about her?" Spike asked. "Did she deserve to find out like this?"

"Maybe not." Buffy replied. "Probably not. But we may not have a tomorrow, do we?"

"Actually, that depends on you." Spike said. "Your mother gave me an interesting idea."

"What is it?"

"Take their power away. Now." Spike revealed. "I'm all right with that. Choose one slayer and give her the power. Make it as it was."

Buffy looked at her daughter and realized she didn't have a choice.

"I could have stopped this." She said. "I could have prevented this war."

"This war was unavoidable." Spike corrected. "Something good will come from it."

"Look around, Spike. Look at this destruction." Buffy said. "What good could come from this?"

"It's all in how you see things, slayer."

"I only see destruction."

"I see a new beginning." The vampire countered. "You will understand when I'm gone."

"Gone?"

"If you remove the slayers from this plane, my job will be done." Spike said. "It's up to you."

"I keep thinking it's too easy." Buffy said. "And too stupid of me. All of this could have been avoided."

"Everything happens for a reason, slayer." Spike repeated. "You may not see it now, but you will get it."

"I don't see how."

"Can I have your word, then?" Spike asked. "No more slayers by tomorrow?"

"No more." Buffy said, her voice very small.

"Tomorrow noon." Spike nodded. "I will trust in you, slayer. You know that if you don't…"

"You'll come back, yes. I know. Don't worry. I won't let you down this time."

Spike sighed and leaned towards Buffy. She didn't know what to do when he caressed the side of her face with his knuckles.

"You have never let me down, slayer." He said, looking into her eyes. "I once loved you because of what you were. I loved everything about you. I would have followed you everywhere. If I gave my life for you I must have loved you very much."

"Loved?"

"You can't keep loving if it's not mutual." Spike said. "You can try. You can keep hope in your heart, but it will die sooner or later if it's not nourished. Love died before I did, slayer. Like I said, I have seen how important I am to you, luv. I mean exactly nothing to you, and I understand that. I get that now. I have seen too many sides of me obsessed and it's the saddest thing I've ever seen. I've killed versions of me who died claiming their love for you. I have killed countless versions of you, and your last words have always been the same."  
"What?"

"I'm sorry, or Angel."

Buffy looked away.

"You have not lied to me, slayer, I know." He continued. "It's a rare thing, this dimension, but it seems you've taken the first step to stop lying to yourself."

Spike turned his eyes towards his daughter, and stared into blue eyes.

"And you, sweet pea, I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?"

"Because I won't get to know you." He began. "Because I did not get to see you grow. Because I didn't know you existed. Because maybe I will forget you when I go back to hell."

"You seem too sure of it." She sadly said.

"It's what I am. It's what I do."

"It doesn't seem fair." Annie replied. "I know you exist and now you're going away."

"Tough luck, bit." Spike said. "I will try not to forget you. I swear."

"I won't forget you." Annie countered. "I swear I won't."

Spike smiled and for an instant, all he wanted to do was hold his daughter. Instead, he sighed and took a good look at her, trying to burn her image in his mind, trying to tattoo her in him so he could remember something good had come out of his existence.

"Tomorrow noon, slayer." He repeated before turning around and walking away.

Buffy looked at him walk away and noticed a lone tear running down her face. She turned to her side and saw more tears coming out of her daughter's eyes.

Buffy wanted to hug her, but she knew the girl had to digest everything she'd just heard and she'd have to do it on her own terms.

Behind her, from the point Spike had disappeared, the slayer noticed how slowly the sun started to come out.

The endless night had ended, and she had work to do on the next day.

End of Chapter

**A/N2:** The title of this chapter comes from a song with the same name, performed by Fleetwood Mac. Download it if you can. You'll understand the inspiration for this chapter.


	81. The One

Chapter 80 The One 

**A/N: **Chapter eighty of the series.

**Disclaimer: **All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback: **Sure, as you wish.

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Somewhere in London, England

December 2017

It had taken Buffy almost four hours to finally gather everyone in a barely standing building, where the remainders of the initiative set up a temporary base camp and a very urgent makeshift hospital.

Buffy looked at the numbers and she felt enormous guilt weighing down on her soul. She wondered if she had done the right thing by letting them fight for something that wasn't even supposed to be theirs.

She had locked herself in a room with Faith and Dawn, feeling she had to tell them first; she owed them at least that much.

"There can only be one, huh?" Faith said, running her hands through her hair. "Man, that's worse than before. There were two of us."

"I know." Buffy said, dark circles visible under her eyes. "I didn't ask them if they wanted the power, but right now I can't just take it away without them knowing."

"Maybe it would be for the best." Faith said. "I don't think they'd take it too kindly if you tell them now."

"But that would be lying." Buffy sighed. "I can't lie to them, especially not after I told them I wouldn't do it in the first place."

"The hadn't fought against that massive army." Dawn offered. "Maybe now that they realize there's no other way…?"

"What you told us, could we just, I don't know, not act?" Faith asked. "Turn our heads the other side? Wait until balance is restored?"

"Seems it's not that easy." Buffy replied. "It's their very existence that's disrupting everything."

"There are several loose ends." Dawn said. "But right now we have to deal with this. Now that you've taken this choice, who will be the only one?"

Buffy stared into her sister's eyes and then into Faith's.

"Seems Faith is the logical choice." Buffy replied. "She is the slayer, after all."

"Hey, I'm not so sure about that." Faith said. "Whatever might have happened in the past, you're our leader, B. You should be the one."

"I have been a slayer too long, Faith." Buffy sighed. "Ever since I was sixteen. I have been a slayer twenty years. Twenty years. I am tired, very tired. I seem to have taken the worst decisions ever in the history of mankind, Faith. I don't know if I deserve this power."

"It's not whether we deserve it or not, B." Faith replied. "It's our birthright. We were meant to be slayers, each one of us. You were the first of us all, I think it's your choice."

"You could give up." Dawn said. "You could give it all up and take a shot at that normal life you've craved all your life. Or you could become the slayer again and try to make up for all the guilt you're visibly carrying."

"There is one thing we could do." Buffy said. "Try to keep the status quo."

Dawn and Faith looked at each other, and wondered what could be going on through Buffy's mind.

--------------------

Two hours later, Willow was looking at Buffy and wondering if she had heard correctly.

"You want me to do what?"

"Take what you gave." Buffy repeated. "Take this scythe and do what you did fifteen years ago, only backwards."

"It's not that easy, Buff." Willow frowned. "It's not like playing a vinyl record backwards and expect results."

"Oh, it's not the same spell, Will." Buffy said, her eyes gleaming. "I want you to do this…"

------------------

Giles' legs carried him as fast as he could to the place he'd heard Buffy, Faith, Dawn, Annie and Willow were. Xander had explained to him what he'd heard Buffy say, and he'd wanted to get up from his improvised bed in order to stop them, but Giles had stopped him.

The words still rang on Giles' head.

'Buffy will take their power away.' Xander had groaned. 'She asked Willow to do it. To reverse the spell.'

He rushed around and wished they hadn't found a building with so many inhabitable rooms. Finally, he spotted Buffy leaning against a still standing door, and he felt his pulse quicken when he noticed the calm face she had.

"Buffy! What is the meaning of this?" He half asked and half choked, his lungs straining as much as his legs.

"This is what has to be done." Buffy replied, barely bothering to turn around to acknowledge Giles' presence.

"This is madness!" Giles exclaimed. "You saw the army attacking us! You can't take their powers…!"  
"You know this was the only way out." Buffy calmly replied. "I told you about this a long time ago. I was arrogant and wrong. A city is already lost, Giles, I don't want half the planet gone as well."  
"You said it yourself, Buffy, there is always another way." Giles pleaded.

"There is no other way, Giles." Buffy said. "The only other choice is death by Spike, and I don't want any of my girls to meet such demise."

"Are you sure, Buffy? You've fought too hard."

"And I was wrong." Buffy continued. "You heard about Angel?"

"Yes."

"There you have it. I have been wrong many times, Giles. I may have been blind about many things, but I can't keep making mistakes."

"Buffy, if everything, they were our mistakes." Giles softly said. "Not only yours."

"I was the slayer." Buffy now turned to look at Giles. "It was my responsibility. You all followed me. These girls followed me. They died because of me, Giles. I know I was their general, but I could have saved their lives. I could have saved them."

"And have you thought what we're going to do without them?" Giles asked. "What will happen to the council?"

"The council has been a dinosaur for too long, Giles." Buffy sighed. "It outlived its usefulness long ago. Maybe it is time for a new beginning."

"What are you saying?"

"Shh. Willow is about to begin."

Giles turned to where Buffy's eyes were directed and he could only stare in silence as Willow's hair once again turned to white and light shone from her.

He had to shield his eyes as the light kept growing and he wished he could hear the words spoken by the once redheaded girl.

All too soon, the light diminished and Giles could see the scythe glowing instead.

The former watcher sighed. He knew it had been done.

"Now what are we going to do, Buffy?" He asked. "What is the world going to do?"

"What it did for two thousand years before we appeared." Buffy replied. "Nothing different."

"I hope you know what you've done, Buffy." Giles' tone was harsh. "You know I sometimes don't agree with your decisions, but I have always stood besides you. Now, you'll have to go out there and tell those injured girls what you did. You'll have to tell them they fought for naught."

"No they didn't." Willow softly said as she was brought to her feet by Faith and Annie. "Show him, Dawn."

Dawn smirked and walked closer to him.

"Sorry, grandpa." She said, before scooping him up into her arms and twirling him around.

"What the…?"

"I'm still a slayer." Dawn said. "The spell doesn't apply to me since I'm made from Buffy. I don't count as a recipient of shared power."

"Well, that's…" Giles couldn't find the words and he was busy fixing his glasses. "Let me stand, Dawn, please."

"Sure."

"So, there are still two of you." Giles said, clearing his throat. "Wonderful. A force of hundreds is now only two."

"Oh ye of little faith." Willow chuckled. "Tell us, Giles, what happens to long lived slayers?"

"What?"

"Tell us."  
"Well, their powers increase as they grow old." Giles began. "There aren't too many records on this, seeing how Buffy is the only, uhm, live subject we have so far."

"Exactly." Willow said, a large smile on her face.

"What did you do?" He asked, suspicion growing inside.

"Removed only the portion of power shared at the beginning." Willow said, her voice weary. "They may not be slayers anymore, but the power they gained through this fifteen years? It's still there."

"What?"

"I brought a slayer back from the dead, Giles." Willow said, practically exhausted and about to fall asleep. "There's very few I cannot do."

"Seems impossible." Giles said. "And farfetched. How did you think of this?"

"It was their idea." Willow muttered before succumbing to exhaustion. Giles looked at the women in the room and frowned.

"They said there can only be one." Buffy shrugged. "They never said anything about the power they won. They never objected about skilled fighters, only about slayers."  
"This is crazy, even for you." Giles sighed. "And will this work? Don't they need the initial shared power to retain the acquired power?"

"There's no problem at all." Buffy said. "The line of the slayer will continue. When I die, the power will pass to someone else. When they die, well, there will only be one slayer."

"No repercussions? That's hard to believe whenever magic is used." Giles didn't sound too convinced. "We'll just have to wait and see what happens."

"Nothing will happen, Giles." Buffy said. "Except there are many women out there who are still basically superhuman and will need some guidance."

"Thought you said the Council was a dinosaur that had outlived its usefulness."

"The council has." Buffy nodded. "The world needs something else entirely. The initative knows far too much about us. The world's governments could use this as an excuse to go after you. I think our best bet would be to go underground."

"What do you mean?"

"The world will look for someone to blame, Giles." Buffy said, looking into his eyes. "London is gone. Poof. Destroyed by demons and by the military. Someone will have to answer for it."

"And you think they would come for me."

"You'd be the best scapegoat." Buffy nodded. "We should flee the moment our girls are healed enough to move."

"This seems so surreal." Giles muttered. "But you're right. We'll have to leave the UK as soon as possible."

"Heard Cleveland is very nice this time of year."

"And they have a hellmouth there as well." Giles chuckled. "I'll see what I can do."

"Good, and Giles? Tell the others I have another thing to ask of them."

"Sure." Giles nodded. "What is it?"

"I want us to save Spike."

-------------------------

Noon came and Buffy walked outside of their safe camp within the damaged building.

She knew where to look and soon found a shaded spot a hundred yards away from their camp. Looking up, she noticed there was still too much ash in the air and London wouldn't be inhabitable in at least a year or so. The dragons had really destroyed almost everything.

"Lovely day."

Buffy's eyes returned to ground level and she found Spike leaning against a cracked wall, smoking casually.

"It's not raining." Buffy shrugged. "Which is weird, considering we're in December. I think so."

"Wouldn't know, myself." Spike shrugged as well. "See you kept your word."

"Told you I wouldn't let you down."

"But you cheated." Spike chuckled. "Everyone noticed up there. The spell was a tricky one, luv. The partners feel you're cheating."

Something cold ran through the slayer's spine.

"And the Powers?" She asked.

"They have no problem with it." Spike smirked. "There are no more slayers, as in plural, and they shut the partners up with the destruction of London."

"How come?"

"The partners couldn't disagree or raise ruffles since they got away with the complete destruction of this city." Spike said. "Told you something good would come from this."

"I don't find the destruction of cities acceptable, but if it helped…"  
"That it did." Spike kept smirking. "You got away with your slightly powered females, the partners got away with destruction. Balance is slowly coming to equilibrium."

"So, the battle is over?"

"Seems like it." Spike replied. "Before you keep punishing yourself, the battle was indeed necessary. The destruction of this city was needed."

"Lives were lost." Buffy softly said.

"More would have been lost if this hadn't happened." Spike countered. "You know it because I would have done it."

"So that's it? No more battles for Balance?"

"This is it." Spike replied.

"I don't want you to go." She suddenly said. Spike tilted his head to the side.

"Come again?"

"I don't want you to go." She repeated. "I don't want you to continue doing what you're doing."

"That's really not up to you to decide." Spike chuckled. "But it's the thought that matters."

"There must be something I can do." She insisted.

"Have you learnt nothing, Buffy?" He said. "There are things that are beyond your control, luv. Things that are far beyond your understanding. Hell, I don't understand them myself. All I know is that this is the right thing to do."  
"How can it be?" She asked. "You are forced to kill to fix their mistakes."  
"And that is what I do, slayer." He replied. "Or have you forgotten what I am? What I do?"

"I didn't see you feed off of anyone." She countered.

"Don't forget I'm a vampire." Spike continued. "Don't forget I kill to live. That's what I do. What I am. This is my fate, Buffy. This is what I'm supposed to do."

"I want you here." She pleaded. "I know I'm really, really screwed up inside, but I think I can fix it if you're here, with me."

Spike looked at her and for a moment she saw in his eyes what she had seen there years ago.

"You don't need me, slayer." He softly said. "Hell, you don't need anyone, Buffy. You're an incredible woman, but you have never wanted to see it."

"I'm not incredible."  
"Yes you are." Spike repeated. "I've come to understand and see many things I didn't see before. I'm still a bit woozy in what I felt for you, but now I know I wasn't meant for you. I didn't deserve you."

"I think it's the other way around." She chuckled.

"No, no, slayer. That's not true." Spike sighed. "Maybe you thought you couldn't love anyone as much as you loved Angelus. Maybe you thought only he could love you for what you were. Maybe you unconsciously felt too much for someone or too little. I don't know. All I know is that you deserved much more than me. You still do. You're special, Buffy. A wonderful woman."

"Don't say that…"

"I say it because one day I loved you." Spike continued. "And love doesn't disappear completely. But you know you didn't love me. You didn't want to. Maybe you are too damaged to properly love, but you're still young. You can still fix that."

"That's why I want you to stay." She repeated. "Maybe…"

"There are no maybes between you and me, slayer." Spike cut her words. "Don't insult yourself and my intelligence by pretending. You made your choices and you have to live according to them. So have I."

"What is that supposed to mean?" She asked, feeling sadness creeping all over her.

"It means I have my own life now, however sick and twisted it may be. I may still be on a leash, but I'll find a way out of it. I know I will."

"What about…?"

"Don't worry about Drusilla." He interrupted. "She won't come for your daughter anymore."

"How do you know for sure?" She asked. "Annie told me Dru spoke of her as her enemy."

"She's not the enemy." Spike chuckled. "Dru just wants to get to know the girl. She somehow feels the sweet pea should be hers, don't ask me why."

Buffy fidgeted, knowing why Dru felt that way.

"Guess this is goodbye for good, slayer." Spike said.

"There are things I don't understand." Buffy blurted, not wanting him to leave until she had an idea. "What did Drusilla do to Angel?"

"Meaning?"

"When he disappeared, he was, uhm, as normal as he'd been for the past years. When I saw him next, he was standing next to her and had a bite mark on his neck."

"Angelus has been a major player the latest apocalypses." Spike replied. "And it's never known which side he'll back up. Dru merely gave him a choice, much like I gave you one."

"What? Yield or die?"

"No." Spike chuckled. "She merely reminded him of what he is. Angelus made his choice."

"Maybe she put him on thrall or something like it."

"Are we back on this?" Spike sighed. "Dru couldn't do that to her 'daddy' dearest. She loves him too much to do that to him."

Buffy remained in silence, not knowing what else to say.

"Is there anything else you want to say?" Spike softly said. "Some other doubts you need me to clarify?"  
"No."

"That's my cue, then." He smiled and offered her his hand. "Goodbye, slayer."

Buffy stared at his hand and cautiously took it, hoping something would happen. Something that could make him change his mind.

When their skins touched, nothing happened, and Buffy's face fell.

"Tell me goodbye, Buffy." He softly said. "I don't get to hear that from you very often, you know."

Buffy chuckled even though she didn't want to. Watershed eyes met calm blue ones, and the slayer forced herself to say the words.

"Goodbye, Spike."

The vampire smiled and gave her hand a good squeeze before he let her go.

So immersed had he been he didn't feel the other slayer standing close to them, until his eyes caught hers.

"Going somewhere, Spike?" Dawn asked, her eyes narrowed.

End of Chapter.


	82. Loose Ends

Chapter 81 Loose Ends 

**A/N: **Chapter eighty one of the series.

**Disclaimer: **All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback: **Sure, as you wish.

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Somewhere in London, England

December 2017

Wesley kept looking at the goddess sitting atop a broken support pillar.

He'd stared at her for so long in his life he could clearly see her in his mind every time he closed his eyes, but lately he'd been seeing things he hadn't noticed before.

Things that had not been there before.

For instance, she was not sitting in her usual 'I'm the queen of the world and you are all scum' way. She was sitting with a leg crossed over the other, her back not as stiff as usual and her arms to each side of her as support. Her eyes were not fixed on some unseen spot, like always, instead going back and forth as someone walked in front of her.

He wondered if he was seeing things or if someone else had noticed. As usual, most of them merely ignored them and walked past them as if they didn't exist, so he couldn't very well ask a stranger if they saw something strange in her.

They would probably tell him that everything was wrong with her, and him for being there.

His eyes scanned the battered room they were in and fell on Connor's shape. He was still talking to his mother, which was quite admirable, since light beings didn't like to stay very long on their plane of existence. He figured they had a lot to talk about.

So that left him with practically no frame of reference. The only one who could give him some sort of perspective was chained to a far away wall, two IV's on each arm and two initiative guards looming over him. He wondered if Angel was still somewhere inside that damaged mind.

So there he was, looking at a goddess inside a woman's body, but what bothered him more was that the goddess was behaving more like a woman than ever before.

That disturbed him on several levels.

Rage coursed through his body. How dared she to act like a woman? How dared she to try to blend in a world that belonged to the precious body she walked in?

How dared she make him care for her when he should hate her with all that he was?

"I'm afraid there are no answers to the questions you have."

Wesley was not surprised by Cordelia's appearance next to him. Unlike the other individuals in the room, he could feel whenever an angel would appear. One of the benefits of sharing his body with a thing.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He said.

"Right. Humor me, then." Cordelia said as she sat next to him. "You wonder why she's acting like a human after all these years. You wonder why she doesn't seem to know that much about demons as she used to. You wonder why you're not feeling the rage you used to feel towards her."

"You don't know what…"

"Yeah, yeah, I don't know what I'm talking about." Cordy said. "Asked you to humor me, didn't I?"

Wesley grumbled but remained quiet.

"You wonder why she hasn't left your side. You wonder why she gets angry at you more often than she used to." Cordy continued. "You wonder why she scratches her nose when she's not supposed to be bothered by the things humans are."

"What is it you're trying to say?" Wesley growled.

"No matter what you've been told, souls can't be destroyed." Cordelia carefully said. "At least not so easily."

"What…?"

"Souls are energy, Wesley, and as an educated man, you know energy…"

"Can't be destroyed, only transformed…" He finished her words. He frowned and looked at the angel next to him. "What are you trying to tell me, Cordy? You know I don't like guessing games."

"You did once." Cordy smiled. "You don't need me to spell it, do you?"

"I did research." Wesley growled. "I read. I traveled the world. I was told it was her or thousands. I would have chosen her, you know it and I know it. Now you're telling me her soul…"

"Never left her body." Cordelia nodded. Wesley's frown deepened and he had a murderous intent on his eyes.

"What?"

"Fourteen years." He hissed. "Fourteen. You could have said something before."

"Would you have believed me?" She asked. "Without seeing the signs yourself?"

"Probably not." He sighed. "But still, seems impossible."

"Her soul would have eventually left her body had Illyria's power not been reduced." Cordelia explained. "You sapped it yourself."

"The Mutari generator." Wesley whispered. A look of hope appeared on his face, only to be quickly replaced by indifference.

"The others might have believed everything you say." He coldly said. "I am not like them. I will not be played by your words."

"But I…"

"Go play with someone else, Cordelia." Wesley said. "I am not a pawn in this game."

Cordelia stood up and stared at the man who had once been her friend.

"You may not believe me, Wes. But you can't tell me you haven't noticed anything." Cordelia said, as her halo of heavenly light appeared. "Or felt anything."

Wesley didn't look at her as she disappeared, his eyes still fixed on Illyria.

He wanted to believe what Cordelia had said, but he wasn't as easily manipulated as the others. Besides, he wasn't sure if he would want Fred to see what he had become.

Maybe there was some part of her in that body. Maybe she was sharing herself with an ancient goddess.

Maybe Illyria had earned her right to live.

Maybe he wouldn't be too ashamed to try to find happiness with someone who was still essentially the perfect woman for him.

----------------------------

Spike stared at the woman standing in front of him. She was practically the same girl he remembered when he wanted to escape the unbearable pain suffered in hell, but she wasn't a girl anymore.

She had become a very beautiful woman.

"I thought I'd never get to tell you this." Dawn said, walking closer to the vampire. "I know I can't touch you. Seems I am not allowed to."

"Found about that the hard way." Spike chuckled. "That had never happened before."

"Even in…"

"In the other realities I never got close enough to touch you." Spike admitted. "You were just a child, most of the times."

"Most of the times?"  
"Sometimes you weren't even there." Spike continued. "This is the first time I've seen you as an adult."

"And what do you think?" Dawn asked, a smile on her face.

"I always knew you'd be a beautiful woman." Spike honestly said. "I'm glad we have the chance to say goodbye this time."

"What will happen to you?" She asked.

"I have no idea." He replied. "Don't know where or when I'll have to go."

"That's sad."

"It's my life." Spike said. "Or unlife. Doesn't matter."

"It matters to me." Dawn offered. "I don't want you to go."

"Already went through this with big sis." Spike sighed. "Don't want to do it again."

"I'm sorry, Spike."

"Sorry? What for?"

"I doubted you." Dawn said. "Years ago. I doubted you. I believed others instead of having faith in you. You treated me as a friend, as an adult, and yet I doubted."

"No harm done, pet." Spike smiled.

"I had to tell you that."

The vampire nodded and his smile grew. Behind him, almost unnoticed, Joyce Summers began to materialize.

Spike felt the angel behind and slowly turned around. His eyes met Joyce's and he smiled, welcoming her.

"Now this is new." He chuckled.

"Thought I'd give you the chance to say goodbye." Joyce said. "Are you ready to go, Spike?"

"Set and ready." Spike nodded. "Where are we going now?"

"I still don't know." Joyce replied, smiling. "We'll find out on the way."

"Right. As usual. Up, up and away, then."

Joyce smiled and she approached Spike, the heavenly glow around her growing. Buffy shielded her eyes and felt tears prickling her eyes, knowing it was the last time she'd see the blond vampire in her life.

"Wait."

Joyce and Spike turned to where they heard the voice calling for them. Dawn's blue eyes were fixed on the two of them.

"Honey?" Joyce asked.

Dawn took a deep breath and her eyes shifted from her mother's to Spike's, a timid smile on her face.

"I want to go with you."

End of Chapter.

**A/N2:** There is a reason for everything, hang in there. All through the story, I have pictured the characters as they were the last time I saw them on tv, but others have changed. I described Annie at the beginning as looking like Canadian singer Avril Lavigne, but I also envision Dawn a bit changed. Actress Michelle Trachtenberg is a beautiful girl, but she's still too young, so instead I imagined Dawn in this story looking like yet another Canadian native, actress Evangeline Lilly. You can see her in the tv series Lost.


	83. Solsbury Hill

Chapter 82 Solsbury Hill 

**A/N: **Chapter eighty two of the series. Well, this is it. After one full story, one prologue, eighty two chapters and 254 pages, this is the end of an adventure that began years ago. I can't tell you how relaxing it is to finally get all of this off my head and how sad it is to finish it. I don't think I'll write any more fiction regarding the Buffyverse, as the show ended a long time ago and you have clearly seen how the focus of my stories shifted radically.

Thank you very much for keeping up. I can't tell you how satisfying it was to post a chapter and receive reviews, either good or bad. I will miss that, as it is some sort of rush I believe only those who are brave enough to post their ideas on paper (or the net) understand. Thank you for years of taking your time to read these stories and for writing a review or an email.

**Disclaimer: **All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

**Feedback: **Sure, as you wish.

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Somewhere in London, England

December 2017

Buffy couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Dawn, her baby sister, was asking a vampire to let him join him in damnation. What was wrong with that girl?

"I'm sorry, what?" Spike asked, clearly as confused as Buffy was.

"I said I want to go with you." Dawn repeated.

Joyce sighed and the glow around her disappeared as she walked towards her daughter.

"Dawn, honey, you have no idea what you're asking." The angel said. "You can't go to where he's headed."

"Why not?" Dawn asked, crossing her arms. "I am a slayer, mom. I can take care of myself."  
"It doesn't matter what you've become, dear." Joyce replied. "What he does. What he is. You wouldn't understand."  
"What's not to understand?" Dawn asked. "I know what he is. I have always known what he is. There is proof of it. I can burn him if I touch him. So do you. I want to see how it ends."

Spike listened to the arguments mother and daughter spoke to each other and he frowned. He'd asked Joyce what had happened when Dawn had touched him and now he understood. Dawn and Joyce could hurt him because they were the only ones who had actually cared for him in his entire existence. Confusion soon turned into comprehension as he finally got what Joyce had meant.

Dawn was indeed his final test.

"Uh, Joyce?" He asked. The angel turned around and stared into Spike's eyes, her eyes sympathetic and understanding. "I got it."

"I knew you would." She said, a smile on her face. "Are you ready for your final test, Spike?"

'Final test?' Buffy thought, feeling something tighten on her stomach. 'What the hell is she talking about?'

"I think I am." Spike said, a smirk appearing on his face. "If I can handle one Summers woman, I think I'll be able to manage two."

'What!' Buffy's mind did a double take and she felt dizzy. She couldn't have heard what she thought she'd heard…

But Dawn's smile grew when she heard Spike's words.

"I sure wish I could hug you." She said as she stepped closer to him. "But I guess we'll have time to fix that, huh?"

"Seems time is all I've got." He smiled back.

Buffy wanted to say something, but she found she had no air to speak. She was seeing her sister walking away with the father of her child and she found herself unable to say a word.

Still, it would be unfair if she objected. Dawn had always felt her place was somewhere else, and maybe it was the truth. Maybe if someone could save Spike, it definitely was her sister.

"I want to go too."

Now Buffy felt all the blood from her body drained. She turned almost in slow motion and saw her daughter standing next to her, a decided look on her eyes.

"What..?" Buffy gasped, staring at her daughter. Annie looked at her mother and Buffy flinched when he saw a very familiar spark in them.

"Sorry, mum." Annie softly said. "But I'm tired of lies. I'm confused and I feel like I don't even know you and dad anymore."

"Annie, honey." Buffy said, reaching out for her daughter's arm but Annie proved to be faster than her. "Annie!"

The three beings who were about to disappear stared at the running girl, and Spike moved forward to intercept her, when Joyce placed her hand in front of his chest.

"Wait." She softly said. "There are reasons for everything."

Spike watched the girl as she reached them and hugged Dawn. He looked behind and saw Buffy's mad dash towards them.

"Annie, this will be dangerous." Dawn said, caressing her niece's head. "You can't come with us."

"But I want to know." Annie replied. "I want to get to know the man who mum says is my father."

Dawn looked at her own mother and at Spike.

"I don't know, honey." Dawn said, her eyes then turning towards the slayer, who had stopped a few steps away from them. "Your mother needs you now. You know it."

"I know." Annie nodded. "But what about what I need?"

Dawn didn't know what to answer, so she only sought for an answer in Spike's eyes.

"You birds are crazy." He muttered. "I know there's something I have to learn from you," Spike pointed at Dawn, "but she? The little bit needs a mother. She needs guidance. Something I'm not sure we can provide."

"Please." Annie repeated. "I need to know."

"Annie." Buffy said, hoping the desperation in her voice wasn't too noticeable. "There's no need for you to…"  
"But there is!" Annie exploded. "Don't you understand? Don't any of you get it? I've been living a lie, mum! As good as your intentions were, you lied to me! It seems you've lied to everyone, mum, including yourself!"

"Annie, you have no idea what I've gone through, you…"  
"Yes! I don't know!" Annie interrupted. "Because you don't let me. I can't believe you never talked to me about the man who is my father! I can't believe you let everyone talk to him as if he was a murderer! He died for you, mum! He died for you! Don't you see what that means? Don't you see how that makes me feel?"

Buffy looked at her daughter and she had never felt so ashamed of herself in her life. The words of her mother came back to her at that moment.

'Your final test is still to come. A test you'll face not as the slayer, but as a woman.'

She understood. She finally understood.

"Let go, mum. I have to know."

Buffy felt too numb to move or say a word, and Annie seized the opportunity.

"Make it happen." Spike said, not understanding what was happening but guessing it was all part of a higher plan. Joyce nodded and a soft glow appeared over the three beings who would go on to another reality.

Buffy stared at the glow as it shone brighter and brighter, until the three figures disappeared from sight. Buffy wanted to cry, to shout, to fall down on her knees and stay in that spot until the three most important persons in her life reappeared. She hoped she would get a chance to fix things. She hoped she'd have the time to talk to her daughter and help her understand what had happened.

Instead, she was left alone in the middle of a destroyed city, carrying a shattered heart and feeling more alone than ever.

"Buffy."

The slayer heard her name but she didn't want to acknowledge her mother. She felt too tired and too sad to react and listen to her mother.

"Buffy, look at me."

Buffy closed his eyes. She didn't want to hear a thing, see a thing, even move or breathe.

"Honey, sit down and look at me." Joyce repeated. "I'm still your mother, dear. Listen to me."

"How could you do it?" The slayer asked. "Why did you do it?"

"I told you before, honey. Karma."

"I don't care about karma!" Buffy shouted as she turned around and stood up. "I don't care about it! I just want my baby back!"

"Buffy Anne Summers, listen to me." Joyce said, her voice commanding obedience. "You have to understand what happened here. Shut up and listen."  
Buffy didn't want to listen.

"Why?" She sobbed. "Why was she born to me? If I didn't love him, why did you give me his daughter?"

"It wasn't meant to be a punishment to you, dear." Joyce replied. "Or a reward to Angel. You have to understand first what you did, honey. I already told you about how you sinned, Buffy, and that soon you'd have to face another test."

"I'm tired of tests." Buffy softly said.

"Annie was given to you so you'd love a part of him without question and without doubt, honey. That is his redemption. The only thing he ever truly wanted was to be accepted and loved by you and your friends." Joyce said. "You denied him of that. You made fun of him and his love and your friends thought that was the way to act. The had been civil to him the summer you were gone, honey, until you returned and once again cast him in the role of the pariah. That is his redemption. All of you love Annie without reason, you only do. That was all that Spike wanted."

"And what about me?" Buffy asked. "What about what I feel? Have I not done enough for the Powers? Have I not done your work without question? Have I not even given my life for the greater good?"

"Buffy, stop it. Spike has lived alone for thousands of years." Joyce said. "Annie won't be gone for long. I guess you can let the girl be with her father for some time."

Buffy felt as if her mother had slapped her. She felt embarrassed and angry at the same time.

"They will come back." Joyce continued. "Dawn and Annie have questions and they need answers. Maybe they will find them with Spike. Maybe they will find them on their own. But it's sure they'll come back. Spike will bring them back."

"Spike believes he's still in hell." Buffy sniffed. "He's not even sane enough to take care of himself."

"Things will work out, honey." Joyce softly said. "And don't worry about Spike. He'll soon become a champion. His work and sacrifice has not been ignored."

"Dawn loves Spike." Buffy said, voicing more concerns. "Spike loves her as well. Will they…?"  
"That's up to them to discover, honey." Joyce replied. "They deserve a chance to be happy, don't you think?"

Buffy closed her eyes and let the tears fall freely. She wondered if that was how Spike felt when he died and went to hell.

She sure hoped it hadn't been anything similar.

"Maybe someday you will be together, honey." Joyce said. "After you understand. Until you accept the shades of gray in this world."

Buffy remained in silence but she looked at her mother. A slow smile appeared on her face as she began to look forward into the future. She knew someday her family would return.

"I have to go now, honey." Joyce said. "Should you ever need me, just call my name."

Buffy nodded and let herself go as her mother hugged her. She pretended she was a teenager again and she was safe in her mother's arms, in her home in L.A. when nothing supernatural had entered her life.

"Goodbye, honey." Joyce said. Buffy stared into her mother's eyes and nodded.

"Goodbye, mom."

The angel disappeared in the middle of heavenly light and Buffy was left alone in the ruins of her city. The slayer looked up and remembered what Spike had told her, that this was merely a new beginning.

She smiled even through her pain and figured she still had the rest of her life to make up for past mistakes.

**The End.**

**A/N: **And so it ends. The title for this chapter comes from the song with the same name by Peter Gabriel. As with other chapter's titles, download the song if you can and listen to it, as it inspires the chapter.

Once again, I can not thank you enough for reading this. I sometimes check the Stats page in and I saw over 5,000 hits. I'm not sure what that means but I guess it's because it was visited over 5,000 times.

That's just amazing.

Like I said, I don't think I'll post any more stories, so I want to reaffirm what I've been saying all along.

Thank you very much, to all of you who hung around and read this from page 1 to here.

Oh, and as usual, there's an epilogue.

--------------------------------------

When illusion spin her net

I'm never where I want to be

And liberty, she pirouette

When I think that I am free

Watched by empty silhouettes

Who close their eyes but still can see

No one taught them etiquette

I will show another me

Today I don't need a replacement

I'll tell them what the smile on my face meant

My heart was going 'boom, boom, boom'

'Hey,' I said, 'you can keep my things they've come to take me home.'

-Excerpt Peter Gabriel's 'Solsbury Hill'-


	84. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

**A/N:** For disclaimer and other info, check every other chapter.

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Cleveland, USA

March 2018

The one and true slayer, Buffy Summers, had left the remains of London fifty three days ago.

The city had already been under labor of reconstruction, and the slayer had been delighted to hear a new prime minister elected. A name she recognized from the time she'd been in the middle of a crazed battle.

Joseph Hallenbeck would be a great Prime Minister to New London.

In order to regain the control lost, the slayer had seized the opportunities that had randomly appeared. She found herself having the means to avoid having a new reign of power by the Senior Partners in her hands. She had two former members of the Circle of the Black Thorn within her reach.

A seriously deranged Angel and Wesley managed to find a way to work together, under Buffy's secret control. The new Circle added new members, asking Drusilla and Illyria to join them, two insane creatures who only wanted to belong somewhere. Drusilla's temporary bouts of sanity made her a valuable associate, and Illyria's newfound humanity balanced the equations.

Wesley even began to smile again.

Rupert Giles had been thoroughly opposed to such an event, but the slayer had been certain in thinking she could exert some sort of good if she was in control of it.

Wesley had warned her about the trials and manipulations inherent in joining or recreating such a machine, but the slayer had already thought about every angle possible.

Since the Partners only focused on destruction and manipulation, they wouldn't care about who was on the receiving end of such actions. The targets were soon revealed to be the old masterminds behind previous Circles.

Heeding Wesley's advice and warnings, the slayer found the perfect way to trick the partners into supporting the new Circle. The sudden disappearance of the Key was attributed to the slayer.

Fake memories and realities were created, and the slayer became the shadow controller of the most evil organization in the world. Since the slayer herself had a dark background, Buffy Summers believed in using them to her advantage.

Rupert Giles watched all hidden in shadows, knowing he couldn't be seen ever again, the world wanting him and his family for crimes against humanity.

Knowing he was a wanted man, he reorganized his forces. Xander Giles and Willow Rosenberg had followed, as well as the remaining watchers and the depowered slayers in order to form a new brotherhood of watchers, looking over the sisterhood of fighters.

He was no longer the leader of a wealthy and powerful organization, but the head of an underground force whose goals were noble, untouched by years of hypocrisy and politics that had once polluted the Council of Watchers.

Thus the slayer picked up her one woman war against darkness in the world, hoping she'd find a way to restore sanity to her ex husband and distract herself until the time came when her family would return.

On a different plane of reality, Annie, Dawn and Spike fought the good fight, not knowing when it would end, merely enjoying their time together, in a place where no one judges and they accept their love for what it is.

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End file.
